Kevin Durant could return to former team?
Apr 23, 2022; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) looks up at the scoreboard in the third quarter against the Boston Celtics at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
The Nets are expected to field phone calls about Kevin Durant from almost every team in the NBA. One of them may even come from the team he was with before he arrived in Brooklyn.
Marc J. Spears said on ESPN Radio Sunday that the one team he has his eye on in the Durant trade sweepstakes is the Golden State Warriors. He believes the Warriors can build a very appealing package for Brooklyn that includes Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins, Andrew Kuminga and former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman. Any potential deal would also likely include draft picks and/or pick swaps.
Spears believes the Nets would be “very happy” with a package like that. He also thinks Durant would be open to the idea of returning to the Warriors.
“For Kevin Durant, they’re very familiar with him and vice-versa. He knows where to live in San Francisco. He knows how the offense works. He knows he can win a championship there,” Spears said. “Yeah, him and (head coach) Steve Kerr would probably have to figure some things out. But with each passing day that this carries on, I’ve heard the Warriors have interest. … To me the Golden State option is the best option.”
You can hear Spears’ full rationale below:
Could @KDTrey5 really be headed back to the @Warriors? @MarcJSpears tells @MedcalfByESPN and @gneitzel16 that it's a distinct possibility. pic.twitter.com/ziwnqtJOEA
— ESPN Radio (@ESPNRadio) July 3, 2022
That is certainly a juicy proposition. Durant faced a lot of criticism for taking the so-called easy way out when he left the Oklahoma City Thunder to sign with the Warriors, who were already a championship team without him. He has been mocked over it ever since and even felt the need to respond to one such troll during this year’s playoffs.
Durant then had a highly publicized feud with Draymond Green before he left Golden State. Some of those issues reportedly stemmed from Green telling Durant that the Warriors won without him and don’t need him. Though the two have since smoothed things over, Green appeared to take a swipe at his former teammate after the NBA Finals.
The idea of Durant returning to the Warriors after all that seems farfetched, especially now that Golden State won yet another title without him. That does not mean it is impossible.
