It would be a surprise at this point if Kevin Durant decided to re-sign with the Warriors this summer, and there has been no shortage of reasons cited for why the soon-to-be free agent is looking to leave Golden State. Could the head coach be among those reasons?
Steve Popper of Newsday spoke with several NBA executives about Durant at the NBA Combine last week, and the general consensus is that Durant is a lock to sign with the New York Knicks. According to one exec, two of the issues Durant is having in Golden State are that he is tired of “prodding” from Steve Kerr and knows the Warriors will always be Stephen Curry’s team. With the Knicks, Durant would be the centerpiece of a tortured franchise rather than a superstar who joined a championship team just to get a ring.
It’s no secret that Durant is a sensitive guy. He reminded us of that after the Warriors’ over the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 3 on Saturday by blasting a fan on Instagram for what seemed like no reason. As Durant continues to sit with a calf injury, the Warriors continue to win games. They could probably win a championship without him this year just as they did before he arrived, and it would not be hard to imagine that bothering someone as thin-skinned as KD.
As for Kerr and his alleged “prodding,” it’s unclear exactly what that refers to. Perhaps Durant is sick of playing in Kerr’s heavy ball movement system now that he has two championship rings. Whatever the case, all signs continue to point to him leaving the Warriors this summer.
