The Golden State Warriors, who won the 2022 NBA Finals, entered this offseason knowing the pieces they fill are ones that are going to solidify the roster with Gary Payton II signing with Portland, Juan Toscano-Anderson signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, and Nemanja Bjelica returning to his home country of Serbia to play.
However, not only are they looking to add to the roster behind Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Finals MVP Stephen Curry, they are open to seeing anything that might be available to possibly win their fifth Larry O’Brien Trophy in nine years next season.
One player that could be available is Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant, who won two championships and two Finals MVP awards with Golden State in 2017 and 2018. Durant was also part of the Warriors team that made the NBA Finals in 2019.
During his three seasons in the Bay Area, Durant averaged 25.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 34 minutes per game.
After a couple of seasons in Brooklyn, Durant requested a trade after winning just one playoff series in three years with the Nets.
LATEST NBA NEWS AND TRADE RUMORS: Golden State Warriors GM Reveals Stance Amid Kevin Durant Rumors
The Golden State Warriors, like every franchise, are always focused on getting better and getting Kevin Durant would easily improve the roster.
However, getting Kevin Durant is a big risk both for next season and in the future.
From General Manager Bob Myers’ perspective, he would probably have to give up at least a couple of pieces from the young core, consisting of Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga and James Wiseman, along with former first round pick Donte DiVincenzo, who recently signed a two-year deal.
Depending on the what’s going to Brooklyn, Andrew Wiggins could be in the mix as well, in addition to draft picks with the possibility of other teams involved.
LATEST NBA NEWS AND TRADE RUMORS: Golden State Warriors GM Reveals Stance Amid Kevin Durant Rumors
When making a move like this, Myers and co-owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber have built the ‘second core’ to follow the original core four of Curry, Thompson and Green along with Andre Iguodala.
In addition, knowing that the trio of Draymond Green, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson, in addition to Kevin Durant, are past the age of 30, that means they are beginning the back end of their careers and the potential for injuries could rise as it was evident at times this year and over the last few years.
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