Warriors may pursue reunion with Durant
The news sent shockwaves through the NBA world, yet it came as no surprise.
All-Star guard Kyrie Irving requested a trade out of Brooklyn after failed contract extension negotiations, according to reports. Now rival teams are asking how Kevin Durant is responding to Irving's potential departure. If Irving is out, will Durant demand out again, too? Will the Nets go all-in on a rebuild? >> The possibility of 34-year-old Durant on the move has to inspire a little hope for a reunion the Warriors would seriously consider.
Durant's hypothetical path back to the Bay Area is difficult to navigate, though not impossible. Let's take a look.
WHAT ARE THE ODDS? >> The odds are slim that Durant will be traded before Thursday's deadline, let alone back to Golden State. After his failed trade request this summer, Durant signed a four-year, $194 million deal with the Nets and hasn't voiced any desire to leave in the hours after Irving's demand.
Even if the Nets decide to part ways with both brooding superstars, the remaining five days until the deadline isn't enough time to find suitable deals for both. If Durant is traded, it would likely be this summer when more teams are at the negotiating table and more assets are available to trade.
WOULD THE WARRIORS WANT DURANT BACK? >> The Warriors could turn their nose up at the notion of a reunion when Durant demanded a trade last June. The request came just weeks after they won the NBA title without him, something Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson took pride in after many declared their dynasty dead and buried without Durant.
But the landscape in San Francisco has changed since then. The defending champions are 26-26, drowning in mediocrity. Opportunities are dwindling and perhaps there's some urgency to make changes.
Maybe a minor addition can give them a boost at the deadline, but would Durant's availability in the offseason inspire a more transformative roster shift?
The younger, more inexperienced players alone aren't causing the Warriors' struggles, but the lack of depth has narrowed their margin for error to a sliver. James Wiseman, Moses Moody and Patrick Baldwin Jr. are out of the rotation. And veterans JaMychal Green and Andre Iguodala have been injured and unable to fill the gaps. Two-way players Anthony Lamb and Ty Jerome have been featured far more than anticipated.
Some big hits on veteran minimums such as Otto Porter Jr., Gary Payton II and Nemanja Bjelica gave Golden State the depth and edge they needed to win last year. Other than Donte DiVincenzo, not much is hitting this year. A seven-man rotation leads to tired legs and minds.
“We're not good enough to win without execution,” coach Steve Kerr said after their loss to Minnesota. “We might've been a few years ago. We're not good enough now.”
The Warriors are still very much in contention to defend their title, but if they want to contend for a few more titles during the Curry era — he's a free agent in 2026 at age 38 — the troubles they experienced this year may inspire them to lean all the way into one single timeline.
Durant's return is a stretch, but a reunion would ensure that the Warriors could make the most of this closing window.
WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO GET DURANT? >> Every team will have an offer for Durant if he hits the trade block. A few contending teams would have the capital and assets to entice Brooklyn: the Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans, to name a few.
To make a compelling offer, the Warriors would need to give up some combination of Wiseman, Moody, Jonathan Kuminga and perhaps Andrew Wiggins, who earns $24.3 million next year.