Warriors are looking to reunite Durant and Steph Curry in the Bay.
Rumors of Kevin Durant reuniting with Steph Curry in the Bay are heating up — but competition for Durant’s services is increasing by the hour.
Per an article in The Athletic by Sam Amick, Anthony Slater, and David Aldridge, Durant has been on several teams’ radar as the trade deadline approaches. The Golden State Warriors aren’t alone in their pursuit — reportedly, the Dallas Mavericks, who recently did the unthinkable by shipping off franchise cornerstone Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick, have also inquired about Durant, with the hopes of reuniting him with former Brooklyn Nets teammate Kyrie Irving.
“League sources say the Dallas Mavericks, fresh off their Luka Dončić-for-Anthony Davis swap that sent shockwaves through the Association, have dreams of adding Durant to their Davis-Kyrie Irving-led group. While the likelihood of Dallas pulling this off now appears unlikely, the mere idea of Durant joining Dallas’ star-studded group sheds new light on the thinking of Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison after he was roundly ridiculed for the Dončić deal. Whether it’s Durant (now or later), or perhaps even the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James in the summer if he were to decline his player option for next season, the 52-year-old Harrison appears to be targeting big-time stars with whom he’s very familiar from his past life as a top Nike executive. The goal, of course, is to win a championship as soon as possible.”
In addition to the Mavs, the Houston Rockets are also reportedly in the mix:
“League sources say the Houston Rockets, whose longtime interest in the Suns’ Devin Booker is likely to be revisited before the deadline, are known to be contemplating a pursuit of Durant as well. While the Rockets (32-17) have not been interested in pursuing older stars like James Harden and Durant in the recent past, the impressive speed of their rebuild may have changed the internal equation on that front. They are currently third in the Western Conference, with every reason to believe a game-changing addition at the deadline might vault them into true title contender status.”
With the Phoenix Suns struggling to acquire Jimmy Butler — who is reportedly only interested in the Suns as a destination — due to Bradley Beal’s reticence to waive his no-trade clause, they are increasingly considering deals involving Durant as an alternative to landing Butler.
If the Warriors are to bring Durant back, it may come at a steep cost:
“In exploratory conversations, the Warriors have only been met with an exorbitant asking price in theoretical structures — essentially everything of future value — considering the tricky spot the Suns seem to find themselves. League sources say four-time All-Star forward Draymond Green, who has an established relationship with fellow Michigan State alum and Suns owner Mat Ishbia, is among the Warriors players Phoenix is known to covet.”
On the surface, swapping Draymond Green for Durant sounds like a no-brainer. But Green is a franchise cornerstone who still has value on the defensive end. Curry may have a lot to say about parting with his longtime partner in crime, but having Durant as the replacement could more than sweeten the bitterness of Green’s potential departure.
The Suns are also reportedly interested in Jonathan Kuminga:
“The Suns also have indicated a level of interest in fourth-year forward Jonathan Kuminga, a player the Warriors drafted seventh overall in 2021, have been protective of in most trade discussions for years and still view as part of the future. But Durant’s potential availability, and this once-unthinkable notion of him reuniting with the franchise he helped lead to two titles, has a way of altering the discussion.”
While a potential three-team trade involving the Miami Heat is also being floated, with Andrew Wiggins potentially being shipped off to the Heat in such a scenario:
Kuminga will be a restricted free agent this summer and is searching for an annual salary upwards of $30 million. Both the Warriors and Suns have cluttered salary structures, but both ownership groups have shown a willingness to pay up for players they desire. The Warriors also have a potential path to help guide Butler to Phoenix, if they pull the trigger on an Andrew Wiggins-centric trade with Miami that has been discussed.
Whatever the case, bringing Durant back to Golden State will not be without its compromises and sacrifices. But if the goal was to help Curry acquire scoring support, the Warriors might as well target arguably the greatest scorer of all time — one who is quite familiar with Curry’s tendencies and Steve Kerr’s intricate offense.