The Golden State Warriors winning a championship this past season is believed to have played a role in Kevin Durant’s decision to request a trade from the Brooklyn Nets.
Multiple reports have cited two major reasons for Durant asking out – and his old team securing another chip is widely regarded as one of them.
In recent days speculation has started to build that perhaps a reunion may be in the cards. Durant previously played for the Warriors from 2016 to 2019 and won two titles and two Finals MVPs in the process.
Specifically, Marc Spears of ESPN appeared on a radio show this past week and suggested it could be a possibility.
Here is Marc Spears on ESPN Radio pic.twitter.com/dLS4mdOO5e
— warriors mac (@warriors_mac) July 3, 2022
“The one team, I’m telling you guys, is keep an eye on the Golden State Warriors,” he said. “Golden State could have the best package for both parties. Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, All-Star Andrew Wiggins and former No. 2 pick James Wiseman.
“What the Nets want is a young All-Star and perhaps a future All-Star. They are all under 30. They also want picks, maybe the ability to swap picks. But if you can get those four players, if I’m the Nets I’m very, very happy,” he continued.
“And for Kevin Durant, the Warriors are very familiar with him and vice versa. Like, he knows where to live in San Francisco, he knows how the offense works, he knows he can win a championship there.
“Yeah, he and Steve Kerr will probably need to figure some things out, but with each passing day that this carries on, I heard the Warriors have interest. In terms of a young haul, in terms of people being happy on both sides, to me the Golden State option is the best option.”
A few days later Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic revealed how Curry and the rest of the Warriors’ “Hall of Fame-bound peers” feel about a possible reunion with Durant.
“Would the leaders of the locker room welcome Durant? According to multiple sources, they would, for the same reason they embraced him in 2016,” he wrote.
“The Warriors superstars have been in conversations with Durant. In addition to catching up, the Hall of Fame-bound peers did entertain the idea of a reunion. It was mostly about the stunning nature of it even being possible.
“The idea of them playing together again had to seem impossible when Durant left in free agency in 2019. It isn’t lost on them how life has contrived an opportunity for them to come full circle. They see it, like everyone else, and talked about it, like everyone else.”
That said, Curry and the rest of the Warriors’ leadership are not pushing to make this happen. They are fresh off a title; Golden State doesn’t need Durant. The franchise has proven twice now that winning without him is doable.
But all parties involved are fine with letting the process work itself out in an organic way.
“This isn’t a case where the Warriors stars are pressing the front office to go acquire Durant,” Thompson continued.
“Sources made it clear they are fine defending their title with Wiggins, Poole and the young players they’ve been grooming to win with them. But if the universe somehow sets it up so legends reunite, they’d be open to it.”
It will be fascinating to see how this thing ultimately shakes out. The trade packages for Durant haven’t blown the Nets away as of yet. The Los Angeles Lakers’ best offer is self-explanatory. Same for the Boston Celtics’.
No wonder Dak Prescott is so motivated these days. https://t.co/83VQPw7UGz
— Game 7 (@game7__) July 4, 2022
Everyone is still very much in the hunt for Durant.
Will the Warriors be able to shock the world again and bring Durant back to help them repeat in 2022-23?
Time will tell.
Related: 2 Players Holding Up A Lakers-Nets Kyrie Irving Trade
A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.
