It has long been reported that Kevin Durant will opt out of his contract with the Warriors this offseason in order to sign a few deal with the team. That looks like more of a lock than ever after Durant’s dominant showing in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, but before Wednesday’s game, Sam Amick of USA Today spoke to the star forward to clarify his stance.
After all, as Amick noted, Durant spoke after Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals about how “anything” could happen this summer for both the Rockets and the Warriors. Did that mean that Durant himself was having any second thoughts about his future plans? Here’s the answer from the reigning Finals MVP, along with a few more comments of note:
On whether he’s definitely returning to the Warriors next season:
“I feel as though (I am). Everything, the money and stuff that’s got to, the contract got to (be) worked out, but I plan on being here. I said that earlier this year. I didn’t plan on anything else, but this is the NBA, and anything can happen. And I know that anything can happen (because) I’ve been a part of this league for so long now.”
On the idea that LeBron James might take a meeting with the Warriors this summer:
(Note: This was reported earlier in the year and recently reiterated by ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.)
“With the Warriors? I have no clue. I mean everybody can speculate. This guy over here who works for ESPN, I’m sure he’s got a theory. I just don’t believe it. I don’t believe anything in this NBA thing until I see it.
“… But how I’d feel if we would get a meeting with LeBron James? I mean, that’s not – I’ve been trying to separate myself from the front office and those decision makers for a long time, so that’s not on me to do it.”
On leaving roster decisions up to GM Bob Myers:
“I wouldn’t be storming into his office saying, ‘We need to go sit down with this guy,’ or ‘No, we don’t need (that guy).’ Like, that’s not my place. My place is to go play ball, and be the best teammate and player. That’s my only job. Everything else I leave up to Bob, because he’s getting paid a lot of money to make those decisions.”
On whether the Warriors’ offseason approach would’ve looked significantly different if they’d lost to Houston:
“My mindset wouldn’t have changed. My approach wouldn’t have changed. I don’t know anything about what the organization would’ve done, because that’s not my field, but my approach to the game and the way I would’ve came into the offseason and the regular season next year, it wouldn’t have changed. It would’ve been the same approach, just see if we could do it again.”
Unlike LeBron, Durant decides to just let the GM do his job and not lobby for bloated contracts for his buddies who aren’t even good and then complain that he doesn’t have the help he needs.
He didn’t have a GM this year and Gilbert had two debacle of trades.
Lebron has a good enough team, he just plays no defense. He needs to bite down and have he mentality, we are down but 4th quarter let’s light these dudes up. If they can’t do it than you take matters in to your own hands, Lebron does not to do that period.
I think everyone has figured out by now, why you make stupid comments like this – it’s the only way people will pay attention to you. LeBron has literally carried this team thru the finals, you know that.
Dial back on the desperation, it’s relentless
His only buddies that he got paid were Tristan and JR and at the time I believe the Cavs were at cap already with kyrie love and Lebron on the payroll and it’s easier to sign your own guys in the NBA because of salary cap situations. So it’s a damned if you do damned if you don’t. And Tristan played a pretty big roll in 2016. And those years contracts were insane. Remember Delledova and Mozgov got huge deals in the offseasons. The only reasons they got paid was because of Lebron. The man gets everyone paid and he realizes this is a business.
Lebron is becoming a joke, he chose to not guard Durant for that dagger 3. This dude has played no defense these Finals nor did he play defense the last Finals. He’s the most overrated defender in the NBA, he plays no defense what so ever which is why he loses time and time again. If he chose to play defense and stop controlling the action so much he would be a lot more successful in the Finals.
It wouldn’t matter because they were switching everything anyways. All it would take is one Curry or Thompson screen and LeBron would have to slide off and guard one of them anyway once Durant initiated the pick and roll. There’s only so much one player can do on the court. And if you watch closely, the Warriors gameplan was to try to keep LeBron out of the play and pick on his teammates.
We need to stop defending Lebron, I mean seriously the NBA is becoming a joke. The best is supposed to win and that’s why we can’t put him up there with MJ because he doesn’t win. There is no consistency to his winning, the best player in the game is getting torched in the Finals for a second consecutive season.
So if Jordan were on the cavs team instead of lebron they’d be winning? No chance at all. The warriors are the most stacked team in NBA history. Take lebron from the cavs and they might make the playoffs
Sorry, MJ didnt play any team close to the caliber of Golden State in the Finals. The Jazz and Sonics had 2 HOF players, this team will have 4. MJ beat HIV Magic in 91. Blazers and Suns were 1 man shows.
You are right, Lebron will find a way to beat the Warriors. I think he’ll finish his career 6-6 in the Finals.
As long as the Warriors win, KD will be staying. He only gets dancing feet when his team loses.
You couldn’t be more wrong. He bolted from OKC because they don’t play good basketball. The front office is terrible, and Russell Westbrook doesn’t play to win, he plays for himself. Durant isn’t going to leave the warriors because they lose once. Keep on propagating your absurd opinion though.
I wonder if Lebron is seeing well.
Lebron get’s paid major money and with it comes major responsibilities. However, in this age of social media and 24 hour news reporting, he is the most scrutinized athlete ever. He is damned if he does or damned if he doesn’t. No one is perfect. His few mistakes stick like glue and are often exagerated by the world. I’m a Knicks and Cavs fan more so a LBJ fan. Whether he stays or goes, I’m grateful for what he’s done. Just don’t go to the Warriors and I’m ok with whatever.
Durant has made the NBA too predictable. Say what you want about his decision, but there is no denying we aren’t surprised that the warriors will easily win this series. I haven’t been into the NBA nearly as much since KD joined the warriors. And don’t compare lebron going to Miami as the same thing. Durant joined a team that just came off the greatest regular season ever and was a win from being back to back finals champs
Didn’t LeBron join Miami right after war had just won a championship?
That was about 5 years prior he joined them
To me is irrelevant if Lebron win rings or not, still is the GOAT, no need to win, is what he does every night on that court, I have never seen anyone ever do what he does, & I have been watching NBA since the mid 80’s, the only one that could compare with him would be Larry Bird. I remember when the mailman retired everyone agreed at that point he was the best PF ever in the game, never won a ring, rings don’t define careers, otherwise Luc Longley would be better than Hakeem as he’s got one more ring, starting for Chicago, to me is what each one does individually, right now to me the only player in the league at the level of Lebron is Anthony Davis, he ain’t winning much in his career, but what he does is totally crazy, KD is pretty amazing too but not at Lebron level.
When he was in his mid 20s, carrying scrubs to the finals was easy, in his 30s, hes breaking his back carrying these loafers.