If the NBA wants to get nuts, then let’s get nuts!
If you told me last week that a Kevin Durant reunion with the Warriors was a possibility before the deadline, I’d have laughed and brushed it off. Next, you’ll tell me that the Mavericks were looking to trade Luka Doncic!
Oh, wait…
In all seriousness, after the Doncic to the Lakers blockbuster over the weekend, pretty much anything seems possible at the trade deadline, even the Warriors and KD running things back. And, according to a report from NBA Insider Jake Fischer, that has been an option that Golden State is exploring.
“The Warriors, as Marc Stein reported, did not move forward with their own conversations regarding Chicago’s Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević this weekend, sources said, as Golden State continued to deliberate over the pursuit for Jimmy Butler and — wait for it — exploring the feasibility of reuniting Kevin Durant with Stephen Curry,” Fischer wrote for The Stein Line.
Fischer also went on to say the Warriors have inquired about LeBron James’ availability following the Doncic trade. Alas, there is no indication that the NBA’s all-time leading scorer plans to waive his no-trade clause and join a new franchise.
As for Durant …
Warriors Pursuing Kevin Durant?
While on the surface this story is a little shocking, I’m not really at all surprised the Warriors are considering going down this path again. For starters, they know it works. Granted, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant are older than they were when they were winning titles together, but they know that there is a winning formula with those two, and they still have Steve Kerr running the show.
Secondly, it’s not exactly a secret that Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy is dead set on prioritizing the present. Who knows how many elite years Steph Curry has left? The Dubs need to do everything it takes to win and win ASAP while their window is still open. How can they do that? They desperately need to add another star.
They’ve gone down the road of inquiring about Jimmy Butler. That road seems to be a bit of a dead end, though according to Fischer it’s not something Dunleavy has given up on yet. Having said that, Butler said he won’t sign an extension with the Warriors per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, so moving assets for him at the deadline just for Jimmy Buckets to walk and hit free agency this summer doesn’t make sense.
It still feels like Butler is pretty determined to get himself to the Suns, but as of now that just doesn’t seem likely to happen. In order to make it work, Phoenix would have to move Bradley Beal or Kevin Durant. Beal has a full no-trade clause, and given that the Bulls barely got anything back for a highly productive Zach LaVine, it’s hard to imagine a team taking on Beal’s similar contract. And even if a team was willing to do so, Beal has made it known that he’s happy in Phoenix.
Speaking of Zach LaVine, the Warriors reportedly checked in there, too. Obviously, that ship has sailed with LaVine headed to Sacramento in a three-team deal. As for the other Bull they have inquired about, Nikola Vucevic seems like a fallback plan if they were to swing and miss on bigger stars.
Anyway, back to Durant. His contract is up at the end of next season. Given how things have gone in Phoenix, if they’re unable to surround him with another star, it’s pretty likely he’ll leave for one last free-agent contract. So if you’re the Suns and Jimmy Butler would be willing to sign an extension, would you move Durant and his uncertain future for the ability to take on Butler with an extension? Obviously, Durant has been the better player throughout his career and is one of the most dynamic scorers in NBA history, but is it worth risking losing him for nothing? How would a departing Durant affect Butler’s desire to sign a new deal with the Suns?
There are still so many moving parts to this saga, but this Durant report feels significant now. It’s still pretty unlikely that we see Durant head back to The Bay. However, given what we just saw on Saturday night – combined with Golden State’s desire to chase another title with Steph Curry – nothing really feels impossible. Likewise, the Warriors certainly have the kind of assets a team like Phoenix should want. They gain a significant amount of draft capital and young talent back by striking a deal.
Do I think this happens? No. But after how things have unfolded this deadline, and a new report directly saying the Warriors have shown an interest in a reunion, it’s absolutely something to monitor.