Kevin Durant Will Leave the Warriors: The Signs Have Been There All Along
Everyone around the NBA collectively lost their minds when it was announced that Kevin Durant would be joining the Golden State Warriors in the summer of 2016. Durant and Westbrook just had the reigning champs on the ropes holding a 3-1 series lead before collapsing and losing three straight. I've been telling people around me that I think Kevin Durant is going to shock everyone again this summer.
A casual observer would think that everything is picture perfect in Golden State. The Warriors are back-to-back NBA champions and Kevin Durant has collected Finals MVP honors in both series. So what could make Durant want to leave one of the best teams of all time?
As much as people like to believe winning is everything, it simply isn't for some people. Some want to be paid the highest, Le'Veon Bell. Others want to be "respected as a leader", hello Kyrie Irving. The Warriors organization and fan base don't really love Kevin Durant and the sentiment has been made clear. Golden State won before he was there and they believe they'll win again if he leaves. If you don't believe me take it straight from the general manager's mouth at the Warriors 2018 championship parade:
Bob Fitzgerald (Broadcaster): "I heard you tell Kevin Durant he can have whatever contract he wants next year?"
Bob Myers (Warriors GM): "Ya, that was just for the media. He can't have anything he wants."
Bob Fitzgerald: "Because I think last year you told Steph that he could have any contract he wants too so?"
Bob Myers: "Ya, well, that was different. He's been here from the way before days, he's earned it."
One of the wonderful things about Kevin Durant is that he's not one of those people who can hide his emotions. You can see how angry and disrespected he feels in that clip, it's written all over his face. This latest beef with Draymond Green, bad enough to get Green suspended, only makes me believe that Durant is headed out even faster. Draymond supposedly questioned Durant's loyalty to the Warriors, and he might have a legitimate reason to be upset after telling ESPN this summer:
"I took less so we could go after KD."
It's also reported in that same article that Green will be seeking a max-contract once his current deal is up. I'm assuming Golden State management will smartly lock up Steph Curry and Klay Thompson leaving room for only one more max contract which I believe will go to Draymond Green. Bob Myers may have been joking on stage, but there's some truth behind that "joke" which is why Kevin Durant was so visibly bothered.
So, where will Durant go then? It makes way too much sense for him to end up in a Lakers uniform playing alongside LeBron James next season. The Warriors keep their proven championship core and probably go after another Demarcus Cousins like free-agent willing to play for far below their value to win a championship. The Lakers instantly become one of the NBA's top teams again and an intense rivalry would be sparked with the Warriors. The NBA and national media would eat that narrative up faster than Thanksgiving dinner.
Sometimes the answer to a problem is staring you right in the face, Durant moving to the Lakers this summer is the result that makes the most amount of sense for the largest number of stakeholders.
Well, that's our two cents about this whole KD/Draymond situation but we'll get back to writing about fantasy football now! If you have any interest in that, please check out our Twitter page! @LastPlaceFF
