Nearly five years after he departed from the Golden State Warriors, the notion of Kevin Durant returning to the team is gaining momentum. This interest is spurred by Durant’s recent challenges with the Phoenix Suns and the Warriors need to enhance their roster for another NBA championship run.
Monte Poole, a Warriors insider for NBC Sports Bay Area, has suggested that Golden State consider trading for Durant. This could potentially involve significant roster changes, including the possible departures of Jonathan Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins. The strategy aims to capitalize on Stephen Curry’s prime years by adding a high-impact player like Durant.
“Trading for Durant now would require not only all parties signing off – that’s the thorniest part – but also substantial roster shuffling, beginning with the departures of Jonathan Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins,” Poole wrote. “Before dismissing this as sheer folly, recall that few outside Warriors’ circle last summer imagined first-year general manager Mike Dunleavy and Lacob going after Chris Paul.”
Curry has previously expressed enthusiasm for Durant’s return, and Draymond Green also supported the idea. Additionally, Golden State CEO Joe Lacob has openly questioned Durant’s decision to leave the team in 2019 via a sign-and-trade deal with the Brooklyn Nets.
Durant’s potential return is increasingly appealing as the Warriors look to build a championship-contending team this offseason. Despite Durant’s consistent All-Star performances, his playoff journey with the Suns ended disappointingly, with the team being swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Durant’s post-Warriors career has been a mix of high expectations and limited playoff success, contrasting with his successful three-season stint in Golden State. Both the Nets and the Suns, teams Durant played for after leaving the Warriors, were assembled at great cost but fell short of championship expectations.
His time in Brooklyn, alongside Kyrie Irving and later James Harden, and in Phoenix with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, demonstrated the difficulties of translating individual star power into consistent team success.
This summer, Durant and Curry will reunite as members of Team USA, coached by Steve Kerr. This gathering will provide ample opportunity for reflection and potentially meaningful discussions about Durant’s future.
With the Warriors planning to retire Durant’s number, the organization may view this as a prime opportunity to explore a reunion, underscored by past considerations of other major player acquisitions like LeBron James.
