The whole idea that former NBA MVP Kevin Durant could join the Golden State Warriors this upcoming summer has to be a scary proposition for other NBA teams.
At 48-4 heading into the All-Star Break, the defending champs are in the midst of what could end up being the best season in the history of the Association. This is coming on the heels of Golden State winning 67 games en route to the title last season.
Reports surfaced in early February that the Warriors will be serious contenders to sign Durant when he hits the free agent market during the summer (via Yahoo Sports).
This came immediately after ESPN’s Chris Broussard indicated in January that some around the league think Golden State is a real possibility.
Doubling down on his report from earlier this year, the NBA insider is now telling us a story of a Warriors franchise that may very well be preparing for Durant’s arrival:
“There are people in Golden State who think they’re getting him. There are people in management and I think some players too. Kevin Durant likes the way they play,” Broussard reported (h/t Real GM). “He likes their style, he likes the fact they play unselfishly. He sees himself fitting into that group.”
It shouldn’t be much of a surprise that one of the top players in the Association would want to join the best organization in the NBA. In addition to Golden State’s on-court success (115-19 record since start of last year), it is preparing to build a state-of-the-art arena in San Francisco at some point in the not so distant future.
The only real question here is whether Durant would fit into what the Warriors have built in Oakland. His arrival would also likely mean the departures of Harrison Barnes, Andrew Bogut and even potentially reigning NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala.
The only real issue here becomes whether Golden State would want to mess with a good thing. If it is able to win the title for a second consecutive season, questions will certainly arise about a historic team dramatically overhauling its roster midstream.
What we do know is that Durant to the Warriors is a strong possibility — one that might be making noise in the Warriors locker room itself.
And if we know anything about NBA players, they are a fraternity. If there’s a thought within the Warriors locker room that Durant will join the team, that could very well be coming from Durant himself.