Warriors May Be Hesitant To Pursue Kevin Durant In NBA Free Agency
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors are the best team in the league without many that would debate that fact. Stephen Curry, who is arguably the best player in the NBA today, has his team firing on all cylinders once again this season with the consensus being that the Warriors will win a second straight NBA title.
Along with paving the way to back-to-back NBA titles, the Warriors are rumored to be interested in signing superstar Kevin Durant in free agency this summer. Durant will be an unrestricted free agent in July with the Warriors potentially being the favorite to land him. Although Golden State may have the edge in luring in the free-agent-to-be, the Warriors may be hesitant about the potential move, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN:
Signing Durant would carry risk, especially with Festus Ezeli‘s future unclear after another knee surgery. Signing Durant with cap room would cost Golden State Harrison Barnes, and at least two of Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Andrew Bogut and Ezeli. The Warriors would have to offload two of those guys into someone else’s cap space, and they are privately worried they might have to attach one or even two future first-round picks to grease the wheels.
As currently constructed, the Warriors are the cream of the crop in the NBA. No team in the league seems to have an answer for Golden State nor does it appear that a team will be able to compete with them in the near future. The San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Thunder are considered to be legitimate title contenders, but few debate whether the Warriors are the favorite to win it all.
With a few months left in the 2015-16 NBA season, anything can happen moving forward. The Oklahoma City Thunder are still very much in the mix to sign Durant once he hits free agency. Although it appears Durant is open to other possibilities with the Warriors near the top of the list, the one-time NBA MVP may just re-sign with the Thunder, especially if they finish the season strong.
