Golden State Warriors: How Would Signing Kevin Durant Work?
The Verdict
At this point in time, the most likely scenario for Kevin Durant seems like he’ll re-sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder for a max contract — either a one-year deal so he can capitalize on the expanding NBA salary cap in 2017, or to a long-term extension to provide security in the event his injury problems worsen.
However, if Durant does entertain the notion of playing for another NBA franchise next summer in free agency, there are few suitors that could offer him more than the the Golden State Warriors. Even if the Dubs don’t repeat in 2015-16, they already have one championship to their name and adding KD would make them the consensus favorites out West.
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The Warriors would have the flexibility to give Durant his max salary and are young enough that such an acquisition would be more than a title-or-bust move. That would be a dangerous core for the short and long-term. But quite possibly the best thing about this hypothetical discussion is the Warriors don’t have to make a single move ahead of time that they’d regret if Durant spurned their advances.
If the former MVP expresses his desire to join forces with the reigning MVP, then the Dubs can spring into action thanks to their cap flexibility. They’d have to make some decisions after agreeing to sign Durant outright, or they’d have to execute a few trades involving Iguodala and Bogut/sign-and-trades involving some combination of Barnes/Looney/Thompson/Ezeli.
But that’s obviously a payable price for a top-five player, and if Durant shows no interest in taking his talents to the Bay Area, there’s nothing stopping the Warriors — who may or may not be coming off back-to-back titles — from bringing the whole band back for yet another championship run in 2016-17.
There’s literally nothing for the Dubs to lose. If it happens, they have two MVPs in their primes. If it doesn’t, they’re still one of the best, deepest teams in the league that will be in contention for championships for the foreseeable future. The rich may not get richer, but even if Kevin Durant amounts to nothing more than a pipe dream, there will still be plenty of wealth to go around in Golden State.