On June 30, Kevin Durant will become a free agent once again. This time, the threat of him leaving Golden State is real. Should he look to sign elsewhere, or return to the Warriors on a long-term deal?
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 28: Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors walks of the court after Game One of the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2019 NBA Playoffs against the Houston Rockets on April 28, 2019 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland,The most anticipated NBA free agency period is on the horizon. On the evening of June 30, the league could be in the midst of major changes.
Outside of Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire , no high-profile scorer has willingly joined the Knicks in the last 20 years. There might be a reason for it. Under the ownership of James Dolan and the franchise supervision of Scott Perry and Steve Mills, the Knicks have made the news for a lot more negative reasons than anything else.
It might be the East, which is perceived to be weaker and easier for teams to break through. But if Durant is looking for instant contention upon his return, it isn't the best roster or front office in the city to commit three-plus years to. If Durant is more focused on the business aspect of his career and wants to see where that door leads him, he might as well choose the brighter basketball fit. From the decision-making of General Manager Sean Marks all the way down to Kenny Atkinson's coaching methods, Brooklyn has salvaged one of the worst team outlooks and made the Nets an attractive option.
As currently constructed, the Clippers can realistically get to $56.5 million in cap room without letting go of much. As, they could actually free up $71 million if Danilo Gallinari is traded without taking back heavy salary. Let's say he's already decided this is more of a lifestyle decision than a basketball-related one. At this point, it would be difficult to argue the Lakers as a more appealing or relaxed situation than the Clippers. It lets Durant be the true alpha of a team again, but without as much pressure to succeed right away.
Because they own his bird rights, Golden State is the only team that can guarantee him a five-year deal worth $221 million. If the season ended perfectly for Durant and he wasn't facing a grueling rehab process, the fifth year wouldn't be such an interesting talking point. Healthy stars of this caliber aren't as focused on the long-term contracts.
It's important to keep everything in the perspective of 2020-21 and beyond, as that's the earliest Durant will be on the floor at the new Chase Center. There are pros and cons of him staying on board with the Warriors' core. The pros are obvious: He would still be paired with a 32-year-old Stephen Curry, 30-year-old Klay Thompson, and 30-year-old Draymond Green. That's assuming Thompson is retained this summer and Green either signs an extension or returns in 2020 free agency.
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