Getty Images Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets.
A reunion between Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors has sparked some interesting speculation but Colin Cowherd does not believe the former MVP will be open to it.
There are a variety of reasons why a reunion between Durant and the Warriors makes sense. He’s familiar with the franchise, they’re set up to win and Durant would establish the Warriors even further as the team to beat as they gear up for a title defense. As Cowherd points out, it’s the best-case-situation for Durant.
“Of course we all know the best place to go — the best team where you’d win the most games. It’s Golden State, the champs. They won before him, they won with him, they won after him. It’s the best place to go,” Cowherd said on the July 4 edition of his radio show. “And they have the most assets, easily. They could make a deal this morning. James Wiseman, Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole — guard, wing, big. The Nets would be off and running and fun to watch.”
But Cowherd sees Durant’s ego as the roadblock, knowing how the 12-time All-Star views his legacy and takes criticism.
“I don’t think he’ll go. Because he’s prickly, sensitive and he’d get pushback,” Cowherd said. “Kevin Durant needs Golden State far more than Golden State needs Kevin Durant. He knows it and I don’t think he likes that. … I don’t think Kevin Durant has the stomach for the pushback.”
Durant to Warriors Dubbed ‘Highly Unlikely’
The Warriors’ interest in a reunion with Durant was initially reported by Marc J. Spears of ESPN. His main point — it’s Kevin Durant, one of the most lethal scorers the NBA has ever seen.
“It’s no surprise to me that Warriors have interest in Kevin Durant, according to sources. So does more more than half the league,” Spears tweeted, reinforcing his reporting. “It’s KEVIN DURANT. You better make the call if you’re an NBA GM. It’s KEVIN DURANT.”
That being said, Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic reported that a deal is highly unlikely to go down due to the Warriors being unwilling to part with multiple pieces that helped make them a championship-caliber squad.
“According to multiple sources in the Warriors organization, a reunion is highly unlikely. Nothing about the last three years suggests the Warriors would be willing to pay the price for a KD return,” Thompson wrote on Sunday, July 3. “That price is likely (and reportedly) an All-Star-caliber player, young talent and a heap of draft picks.”
Durant Spoke Out on Time With Warriors
As Cowherd pointed out, Durant’s situation and disappointing tenure with the Nets has put him in the crosshairs of criticism. And the Warriors capturing the title only added to the superstar’s frustrations.
“The Warriors winning a championship played a factor in this,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported shortly after Durant’s trade request. “I think it exasperated Kevin Durant’s frustration. I think it’s the narrative that surrounded him that he dealt with in the aftermath of him leaving Golden State and then going on to win a title without him, contrasted with what has gone on in Brooklyn in these last three years.”
Durant recently spoke on his time with the Warriors and the blowback he has received on his “The ETCs” podcast.
“I felt like I contributed in a positive way every single second I was inside that arena,” Durant said. “From practice, shootarounds, games. So you’re not taking away this s–t from me. I’ma always hold it in high regard no matter how you try to put my old teammates against me, try to lie on my name and say I’m jealous and envious of these dudes. … I was about the group always.”
The Suns are still the favorite to land Durant at -140, with the Raptors (+250) being the next closest contender, per DraftKings. The Warriors are still in the top 10, but a longshot, coming in at +1500.