A return to the Golden State Warriors for Kevin Durant seemed within the realm of possibility after the Brooklyn Nets star made his trade request, but those whispers only received a healthy dose of cold water.
Warriors general manager Bob Myers downplayed the possibility of a trade for Durant Wednesday in a pre-ESPYs interview with NBA.com’s Mark Medina:
“I like our team and where it stands,” Myers told NBA.com. “I want to give the guys a chance to do it again… It’s a good group. We are happy. It will be fun to watch.”
That doesn’t sound like the words of a man who plans to blast his roster to acquire a Superstar in exchange for a litany of young players and draft picks.
It was previously reported that the Warriors stars are in touch with Durant and “open” to the possibility of a trade if the stars match but are also content to hold on to their young core and aim for another title.
What would Kevin Durant cost for the Warriors?
Despite winning an NBA title last season, the Warriors also appear to be one of the teams capable of putting together a competitive bid for the former MVP.
You can start with Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole, two younger players who have played important roles in the team’s championship run and will be given new contracts after next season. Wiggins is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent, while Poole will be a restricted free agent.
Behind that pair, the Warriors also have three former top-10 picks over the past two years in James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. All three have shown NBA starter potential, although Wiseman missed the entirety of last season due to a torn meniscus.
The Warriors still own all future first-round draft picks except for 2024, which the Grizzlies have thanks to the trade that sent Andre Iguodala to Memphis in 2019.
A return to the Warriors does not seem to be an option for Kevin Durant. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
That’s a lot of potential parts with a healthy range of immediate and future value, but neither might the Warriors jump at the chance to re-strain their future to build a super team for a few years, especially when Stephen Curry is 34 Durant is 33 and Draymond Green and Klay Thompson are both 32.
The inclusion of Durant would also push the team deeper into the luxury tax, which team owner Joe Lacob is already complaining about.