Getty Kevin Durant looking down
Since Kevin Durant left the Golden State Warriors after the 2018-19 season, the all-time great hasn’t found success in terms of winning a championship. The Warriors won without Durant but are now entering a tough period after losing in the Play-In Game last season and the second round the year prior.
Durant’s Phoenix Suns team was eliminated in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves last year. The Suns are also a heavy second-apron team and have limited ways to improve their roster, which could eventually become an issue.
Due to their limited improvement opportunities and worries about staying healthy, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report predicted that Durant would eventually request a trade.
“Sure, the Suns had some injury issues this past season, but that’s been a red-flagged concern since they first brought Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal together,” Buckley wrote in his July 15 column exploring five players who could ask for a trade. “Unless Durant is a glass-overflowing kind of optimist, he could easily be worried about more injury obstacles down the road. Even this core is healthy, though, it might not be good enough to escape the perpetually improving Western Conference, let alone have enough left to knock out whoever escapes the East.
“Phoenix’s roster is top-heavy, defensively limited and lacking versatility on the interior. The Suns seem good-to-really-good, which is a problem when the West may well demand greatness. There really aren’t avenues to materially change this club, so if the plan is simply to play better and stay healthier, plenty of folks could have doubts about that actually working—Durant and his wandering eye included.”
The Warriors Could Benefit From Durant Asking for a Trade
With Durant being 35 and Stephen Curry already 36, the idea of pairing them one last time could happen if he asks for a trade.
The Golden State Warriors have assets and have searched around for players on the trade market this offseason but have yet to add a star. If Durant were to ask out, the pairing would make sense from both sides.
Durant would have another chance to win a championship, and the Warriors would be contenders again, too.
Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area wrote that landing him would still be appealing.
“The idea of KD returning to the Warriors remains appealing in 2024. He’s still playing at All-Star level, and those in the Golden State front office are entering an offseason during which they will explore all options to open next season with an NBA championship-caliber roster,” Poole wrote on April 29.
The Durant and Curry Duo Would Still Be Lethal
Despite their age, Curry and Durant are still two of the best scorers in the NBA. In the 2023-24 season, Durant played in 75 games and averaged 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 5.0 assists.
His efficiency continued to impress, as he shot 52.3% from the field and 41.3% from 3-point range on 5.4 attempts per game.
Curry hasn’t slowed down, either. He made an All-NBA team and averaged 26.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.1 assists. He shot 45.0% from the field and 40.8% from 3-point range on 11.8 attempts per game,
Pairing them together would be exciting, just as it was the first time around. Defenses would have to focus on one of them, which would help the other get clean looks.
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