The Golden State Warriors are coming off a season in which they won 67 regular season games, 83 games total (something only three teams in NBA history have ever done) and a championship. They have the league’s reigning MVP, the league’s current leading scorer and boast a perfect 12-0 record in 2015-16 despite not having their head coach on the sidelines.
And yet, there’s a possibility — however faint it might seem now — that this already scary team could become even more terrifying next summer in free agency. After all, the last time we saw two MVP winners on the same team in their primes, that team won two championships and went to the NBA Finals four straight times.
If you haven’t heard or seen the ensuing discussion on Twitter yet, the Warriors will have the flexibility to sign free agent Kevin Durant next summer if he chooses to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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Before OKC supporters (and fans of common sense) pull out their pitchforks and torches, one quick disclaimer: at this point, there is no tangible evidence to suggest this will happen. There is no report that this discussion is based upon, nor has Durant said anything about free agency other than his love for playing in OKC alongside his brothers Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka.
However, in the event the Thunder fall short of the title once again and KD doesn’t feel comfortable in the Billy Donovan era, teams will be lining up for Durant’s services. However, not many of them will be able to offer him as much as the Warriors, a team that’s already won a title and seems just as likely to win another one in 2015-16.
From the financial side to the basketball fit to the potential obstacles, here’s a look at everything it would entail for the Dubs to set up one of the biggest free agency coups in NBA history and land Kevin Durant next summer.
Next: The Financial Side