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It turns out we can’t dismiss the Golden State Warriors as a potential destination for Kevin Durant.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst appeared on The Dan Patrick Show on Wednesday and said there have been internal discussions in Golden State about reacquiring the two-time Finals MVP.
“There’s legitimate sources in the league telling me that it’s a discussion,” Windhorst said (around the four-minute mark). “First off, the Warriors always believe in open throttle. The Warriors have shown they don’t care what they spend. … This has been a discussion inside the Warriors organization. [Steph] Curry’s been asked about it, and Curry gave a nonanswer. But he didn’t shut it down. He didn’t say ‘hell no.'”
The Brooklyn Nets continue to explore trade talks for Durant, but negotiations have gone at a glacial pace. The 12-time All-Star requested a trade last month in a discussion with Nets governor Joe Tsai.
To this point, no team has been willing to meet—or seemingly even come close—to the Nets’ asking price. Stephen A. Smith of ESPN reported Brooklyn has been seeking two All-Star players in any trade.
While there is no way any team would realistically meet that price, it stands to reason that it’s going to take a historic haul to land Durant.
The Warriors would not rank high on any trade partner list, unless the Nets were willing to start a rebuild around young players. Golden State could offer a package that includes Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody or Jonathan Wiseman along with draft picks that looks reasonable on paper.
That would require Golden State be willing to undo all of the groundwork it laid after Durant’s departure in 2019. The Warriors won the 2022 NBA championship without Durant. Wiggins has seemingly found a home and a role in Golden State as a three-and-D secondary scorer, Kuminga flashed stellar two-way potential, and Wiseman has looked brilliant so far in NBA Summer League.
Adding Durant would give the Warriors the best chance to repeat next season, but it would also strip their next generation of any potential starpower.
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