Could there be a reunion in the works between the Golden State Warriors and future hall of famer Kevin Durant?
Well, it’s looking a lot more likely than it was even just a week ago.
The Golden State Warriors failed to make the playoffs this past season while Kevin Durant and the Suns just got swept in round 1 at the hands of the upstart Minnesota Timberwolves.
With the success Durant and the Warriors had together from 2016 to 2019, with two NBA championships, it appears that joining forces again could be in both of their best interests.
Could the Warriors front office make this happen and does Durant want to come back?
Case for Durant Going Back to Golden State Warriors
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It’s no secret that in their three years together, the Golden State Warriors with Kevin Durant were virtually unstoppable. They won two championships in 2017, and 2018, and might very well of won in 2019 if Durant hadn’t torn his Achilles in Game 5 of the Finals.
Durant received a lot of backlash when joining the Warriors in the summer of 2016. The Warriors were coming off a record-breaking 73-win season following a championship the season before.
The Warriors also eliminated Durant’s Thunder team in the 2016 playoffs. It did not sit well with people that KD joined an already championship team weeks after they beat him in a seven game series.
Durant fit right in with Curry, Green, Thompson, and the Warriors. Everyone knew their role, and as a Warriors fan, it was a joy to watch.
Durant’s 1st Stint With Golden State Warriors
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The Kevin Durant Warriors team is the greatest basketball team I have seen play. The amount of easy shots created with the phenomenal ball movement was staggering. In Durant’s first season in 2016-17, the Warriors secured the one seed in the west and only lost one game in the playoffs en route to a championship. Pure dominance.
The next season wasn’t as smooth sailing but still very dominant. The Warriors coasted to the 2nd seed in the west and had a scare in the conference finals against the Rockets, where they were taken to a Game 7. Once the Warriors got past Game 7 vs the Rockets, they swept the Cavs for their second straight title.
Durant was incredible in both NBA finals the Warriors won, winning two Finals MVP’s and averaging over 30 points per game.
2018-19 was more of the same. The Warriors coasted to the number one seed but dealt with injuries to Durant and Thompson throughout the playoffs and finals. This led to the end of the three-peat bid as they lost to the Raptors in the finals.
Leaving the Golden State Warriors
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Following his Achilles injury and the Golden State Warriors loss to the Raptors in the 2019 NBA finals, Kevin Durant left the Warriors to team up with Kyrie Irving with the Brooklyn Nets.
Durant missed the whole 2019-20 season while recovering from his Achilles injury. He returned the following season and balled out. The Nets with Durant, Irving, and newly acquired James Harden lost a heartbreaking Game 7 to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks in the second round.
The next season in Brooklyn was a disaster. James Harden requested a trade and left. Then the Nets got swept in Round 1.
It didn’t get any better next year. Irving and Durant both requested trades away from Brooklyn and ended up in different places.
Durant went to the Phoenix Suns, where they got bounced in the 2nd round of the playoffs. In his first full season with the Suns this year, the Suns got a 6 seed and were swept in Round 1.
It has been anything but smooth sailing for Kevin Durant since he left the Golden State Warriors.
Potential For Reunion
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There’s a few things that will need to happen for Durant to return to the Golden State Warriors.
First off, each side has to be all in. The Warriors would have to be willing to give up most of their young assets(Kuminga, Moody, etc) and draft picks for Durant.
Then, the Suns would have to move towards more of a rebuild around star Devin Booker and try to add younger pieces instead of keeping on aging Durant. The Suns have virtually no draft picks for the next 5 years after they unloaded the clip for Durant and Bradley Beal last year. Acquiring these picks and young players would help them completely avoid NBA purgatory post-Durant.
There is also the question of if Durant would want to come back. He left the Warriors because he wanted to make more of a name for himself outside of Golden State. There were also rumblings he didn’t get along great with everyone in the organization.
Who knows how true all of that is? But the matter of the fact is that the Warriors are lacking a superstar besides the 36-year-old Curry and Durant hasn’t had team success since leaving.
Both the Golden State Warriors and Kevin Durant could use each other if they want to get back to their winning ways next year.
About the Author
Cory is an Oregon Duck alumni and has been following basketball closely for years; whether it be playing, watching, or attending live. Follow Cory on X @cory_pappas1 for more breaking stories and game previews.
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