The Kevin Durant sweepstakes are heating up after the Nets star reportedly requested a trade out of Brooklyn last week. Interestingly enough, one of the franchises that is uniquely positioned to strike a deal for the superstar forward is one of his former teams: the Warriors.
Given the way Durant’s first tenure with Golden State ended, a reunion seemed highly unlikely, but all bets are off after last week’s trade request. Of course, if any deal were to get done, Warriors star and leader Stephen Curry would have to be on board.
This week at the American Century Championship golf tournament in South Lake Tahoe, Curry was asked about the growing speculation regarding Durant. He shrugged off what he called the league’s “rumor mill,” saying that he was comfortable with where the Warriors were at after winning his fourth title last month.
However, Curry didn’t exactly shut down the possibility of Durant returning to the Bay Area either.
“The rumor mill and all that stuff is part of the nature of the NBA and league,” Curry told NBC Sports Bay Area this week. “You take it for what it is.
“You know how quickly things can change, but I like where we’re at.”
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The Warriors have experienced somewhat of an exodus from their championship roster this offseason in free agency thus far. Gary Payton II, Otto Porter Jr., Damion Lee and Juan Toscano-Anderson all reportedly signed deals elsewhere after providing various contributions to Golden State during the 2021–22 season.
Despite the roster turnover, the Warriors were able to retain starting center Kevon Looney and agree to terms with free agent shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo. Golden State still has a number of open spots on the roster, which could be used to bring in veterans or clear the way for younger, developing players next year.
“There’s a lot of optimism, a lot of energy, about where we’re going,” Curry said.
Although the Warriors may be feeling confident after their fourth title in eight years, there’s no denying that Durant is an appealing trade target. The 33-year-old already won two championships and two NBA Finals MVPs in the Bay Area, so bringing him back into the fold would surely return Golden State to the top of the mountain next season.
For now though, Curry and the Warriors seem content to stand pat and see how the situation in Brooklyn plays out.
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For more Golden State Warriors coverage, go to Inside The Warriors.
