Golden State Warriors: They finally lost a championship…now what?

If Kevin Durant departs

Tragedy is simply the end of a long journey. Rumors galore have surrounded Durant all year, and a nation full of penetrating eyes will soon have its verdict. The ruptured Achilles adds a sad twist, however, and could certainly impact Durant’s best interests. Should he stay or should he go now? Will it be the New York Knicks? Does he join forces with Kyrie Irving? Anyone else sick of all the guesswork yet?

Without Durant, the Warriors will feel a void, especially from his fourth quarter isolation buckets. KD has contributed three solid years, two of which landed him Finals MVP honors. Even missing him most of next season would be an adjustment if he stayed in Golden State. He will obviously be missed greatly in the Bay Area if he departs.

However, the Dubs did not await his arrival to experience success. Remember their NBA-best 73-9 record in 2015-16? This was without Durant. The squad also won the 2015 NBA Finals without him, while also reaching Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals…without Durant. And they could’ve closed that out in five games if not for Draymond Green‘s suspension.

This isn’t an incompetent team without Durant, especially if Thompson stays and returns late next season. KD is important to this squad, but Golden State can still be dangerous without him. Assuming Thompson is available for the 2020 NBA Playoffs, pencil the Dubs in as contenders — even if the path would be rocky.

Despite all this, Durant is a vital part of the squad. Look for Golden State to still consider offering him the max, even with the Achilles injury.