Kevin Durant is doing “a lot of soul searching” as he decides whether to stay with the Warriors or leave for the Knicks or Nets, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on tonight’s draft preview show (hat tip to Real GM). Woj adds that all three teams are willing to give Durant a max offer even though he is expected to miss all of next season with a ruptured Achilles.
New York has been considered the strongest threat to take Durant away from Golden State, but tonight’s report indicates that he is also giving serious consideration to Brooklyn, where he likely can join forces with his close friend Kyrie Irving. With at least three max offers awaiting, it’s virtually certain that Durant will opt out of his $31.5MM salary for next season.
There’s more Warriors news to pass along:
- GM Bob Myers tells Mark Medina of The San Jose Mercury News that he will focus on talent over need in tomorrow’s draft, even though the team suddenly has a lot of holes to fill. In addition to Durant, who may not be back at all, Golden State has to replace Klay Thompson, who will miss most of the year with a torn ACL, and possibly free agent big men DeMarcus Cousins, Kevon Looney and Jordan Bell. “Good young players, whatever position they are,” will be the focus, Myers said. “Those players have the most value in the NBA – rookie contract players that show themselves to have a skill and can play. Especially next year, we afford more opportunity for who we pick. Maybe we get a guy who can step in. We will have more opportunity next year. No matter what happens in free agency, we’ll have more of an opportunity for a young guy.” The Warriors have also become more likely to buy extra picks, Myers said.
- Thompson is waiting for the swelling in his knee to subside before having surgery, Medina adds. Myers didn’t offer any medical update on Durant, whose surgery was last week.
- Alen Smailagic is a strong candidate to go to Golden State with the No. 58 pick, according to Medina. The Serbian big man spent this season with the Warriors’ G League affiliate in Santa Cruz.
- Jacob Evans will be part of Golden State’s Summer League team, Myers tells Medina, while Alfonzo McKinnie, who has a $1.6MM team option for next season, won’t play but will be training in Las Vegas.
Durant has no heart. He will stay. He knows he will be exposed in another market without this team behind him.
What would Curry bring back in a trade? They might be smart to think twice about going all in on max deals to aging players right now, especially when they are injured. All they need to do is look across the Bay at how the Giants extended most of their core players after the championship run and how that is working out now. Older, declining players on expensive deals with no trade value.
You picked the 2 least comparable sports
Seriously? You obviously don’t understand either team.
And you’d rather tie up 60 million plus on 2 players who aren’t going to play?
You obviously don’t understand pondering logical alternatives…..
and you don’t understand the concept of taking care of your iconic players. how bad of a PR hit would the owner take if he DIDN’T take care of two of their best players who took the court, despite having prior injuries, to try and put the team ahead of their own self- interests a week away from FA? They would look cheap, disloyal and money hungry.
The team can afford to not have great expectations this year and still sell out the entire arena this season. if anything, it almost makes this upcoming team look more intriguing and certainly the fanbase will still love em. Even after blowing thru the lux tax they will certainly turn a profit next year.
Big difference. Giants signed to many average players to bad contracts. Shark is a good pitcher but no star to a big contract. They traded for a old Longoria who is way over paid. They drafted very poorly the last few years. Now they continue to hold onto players they should be trading. Warriors has gotten old but they didn’t sign any player over the amount they are worth.
ppl don’t understand the cost of being as perennial world series contender. you often issue contacts to your’re key players knowing thst as they age they likely won’t be worth it. the one contact i knew they would regret was the Longoria one. i forget who they traded away to Tampa but Evan looked on the decline the prior season.
Giants were always known as a team that over pay free agents that are passed 30. Longoria was a salary dump and Giants were dumb enough to go for it. Singing Shark to that over the top contract and now they are stuck with him. Just like with LeBron to many players get contracts for what they did in the past not for what they will do in the future. Chris Paul another example of over paying a older player.
I’m hearing there is a surprise Canadian team in the mix for Durant…
I’m hearing there is a Canadian team that’s about to miss the playoffs after losing their only good player, who they mortgaged their future for.
Not that it didn’t pay off. A championship is a championship, whatever happens next is irrelevant. Especially when it’s your organizations forst and only.
Haha….Yeezus. They moved Derozen and his 3/$84 mil contract and traded a late 2019 1st round pick. They actually saved about $6 mil in salary this year. How in any imaginable way you can view this trade did they “mortgage the future “? We all know they regretted that contract they gave him from the jump. If Kawhi walks then guess what? they only have $15 mil on the books for 2020-21, a great front office and have proven that they CAN be a great destination for top NBA talent looking to win.
Plus they have a championship now. Raptors are genius regardless of where Lenord wants to play next season.
One thing the warriors has done made it a very exciting off season for all the other teams. With the injuries now every team thinks they can win. Notice all the trades and player movement. i read that Meyers mentioned a injured player amount added to the team cap space. So how much allowance on cap space do the warriors get for a player out all year?
wait, the Serbian played in the Warriors G-league affiliate this past season and the Warriors will draft him from there #58 overall?
If he last that long. A few teams have been scouting him in the G league so the warriors shut him down. Great raw talent but still a couple years away.