Per Woj: Golden State are "significant frontrunners" on Durant if he leaves OKC

[Endless Paradise]

Makes too much sense from my eyes. S+T for Barnes and future picks (cause I assume they can't sign him outright).

Imagine a small ball line of:

Curry/Thompson/Iggy/Durant/Green

c's could blow that offer away  by sending Crowder , Brk 2016, BRK 2018 , Dallas pick , Rozier and Hunter

You realize how sign and trades work, right?

[PhoSita]

That would be preposterous.  But you'd have to think Durant would be concerned about the impression that he's the kid in the pickup game who can't win with his team so he just finds a way to latch onto the already-stacked dominant squad.  Durant doesn't seem to have a lot of ego though, so he might not care.

This does underscore one of the big problems (which some may not see as a problem) with the big salary cap jump - there's a unique opportunity for the most talent-laden teams to still add a superstar or two to the mix.  Whether this specific move happens or not, I'll bet we'll see it somewhere this offseason.

I mean, it worked for LeBron, didn't it?


In some ways I wonder if it would be a good idea for the Warriors to mess with a good thing.  But even if it takes time to work things out, exchanging Barnes for Durant in that starting lineup would be incredible.  Maybe they wouldn't win more regular season games, but they'd be pretty much impossible to defeat in the post-season.

[jpotter33]

Two ways this could effect the Celtics

If the Warriors sign Durant they need to renounce Barnes and might not even match if Barnes got an offer sheet at the beginning of free agency (assuming Durant takes his time deciding).

https://sports.yahoo.com/news/how-the-warriors-can-afford-to-sign-kevin-durant-043710075.html

Outside of those well-known suitors – Washington, Houston and Miami – there’s another California team determined to make a bid for Durant, league sources tell The Vertical: The Los Angeles Clippers. If the opportunity comes to move Blake Griffin and replace him with Durant, the Clippers won’t hesitate, sources said.

Teams are calling on Griffin trades now, but Clippers president and coach Doc Rivers seems determined to play the year out with Griffin and see how far the team advances in the playoffs. Eventually, the Clippers will determine how intrigued Durant might be in becoming a Big Three with Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan.

The Thunder would resist a sign-and-trade deal until the very end – until they were sure Durant was leaving them – but Griffin, an Oklahoma native, could be a fascinating part of that scenario.

If Durant is interested in the Clippers wouldn't it make more sense to trade Blake to a team with cap space for picks rather than work a sign and trade with OKC.

I can't see Durant going to LAC or Houston. Even though he's good friends with Harden and Paul, I think he'll see that there's too many potential issues there with management and style of play issues. With their season this year, I think you can pretty much throw Washington out of the hat, too. Miami would be interesting, but you have to wonder both A) is KD going to think this looks like him copying Lebron and B) does he trust that Wade, Dragic, and Bosh can all stay healthy and have game long enough to really justify going there?

It makes a lot of basketball sense to go to Golden State, but for legacy and reputation purposes I think that'd be a career death move for him as one of the top stars in the league.

[Who]

They should raise max contracts. Raise it from 25-30% to 40-50%.

To stop stars all gathering in the same place.

[Evantime34]

Two ways this could effect the Celtics

If the Warriors sign Durant they need to renounce Barnes and might not even match if Barnes got an offer sheet at the beginning of free agency (assuming Durant takes his time deciding).

https://sports.yahoo.com/news/how-the-warriors-can-afford-to-sign-kevin-durant-043710075.html

Outside of those well-known suitors – Washington, Houston and Miami – there’s another California team determined to make a bid for Durant, league sources tell The Vertical: The Los Angeles Clippers. If the opportunity comes to move Blake Griffin and replace him with Durant, the Clippers won’t hesitate, sources said.

Teams are calling on Griffin trades now, but Clippers president and coach Doc Rivers seems determined to play the year out with Griffin and see how far the team advances in the playoffs. Eventually, the Clippers will determine how intrigued Durant might be in becoming a Big Three with Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan.

The Thunder would resist a sign-and-trade deal until the very end – until they were sure Durant was leaving them – but Griffin, an Oklahoma native, could be a fascinating part of that scenario.

If Durant is interested in the Clippers wouldn't it make more sense to trade Blake to a team with cap space for picks rather than work a sign and trade with OKC.

I can't see Durant going to LAC or Houston. Even though he's good friends with Harden and Paul, I think he'll see that there's too many potential issues there with management and style of play issues. With their season this year, I think you can pretty much throw Washington out of the hat, too. Miami would be interesting, but you have to wonder both A) is KD going to think this looks like him copying Lebron and B) does he trust that Wade, Dragic, and Bosh can all stay healthy and have game long enough to really justify going there?

It makes a lot of basketball sense to go to Golden State, but for legacy and reputation purposes I think that'd be a career death move for him as one of the top stars in the league.

I think he stays in OKC and I hope he does. But if him moving allows us to trade for Blake or sign Barnes I'd be happy to see KD go.

[The One]

At least it would be in the other conference...

[jpotter33]

Two ways this could effect the Celtics

If the Warriors sign Durant they need to renounce Barnes and might not even match if Barnes got an offer sheet at the beginning of free agency (assuming Durant takes his time deciding).

https://sports.yahoo.com/news/how-the-warriors-can-afford-to-sign-kevin-durant-043710075.html

Outside of those well-known suitors – Washington, Houston and Miami – there’s another California team determined to make a bid for Durant, league sources tell The Vertical: The Los Angeles Clippers. If the opportunity comes to move Blake Griffin and replace him with Durant, the Clippers won’t hesitate, sources said.

Teams are calling on Griffin trades now, but Clippers president and coach Doc Rivers seems determined to play the year out with Griffin and see how far the team advances in the playoffs. Eventually, the Clippers will determine how intrigued Durant might be in becoming a Big Three with Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan.

The Thunder would resist a sign-and-trade deal until the very end – until they were sure Durant was leaving them – but Griffin, an Oklahoma native, could be a fascinating part of that scenario.

If Durant is interested in the Clippers wouldn't it make more sense to trade Blake to a team with cap space for picks rather than work a sign and trade with OKC.

I can't see Durant going to LAC or Houston. Even though he's good friends with Harden and Paul, I think he'll see that there's too many potential issues there with management and style of play issues. With their season this year, I think you can pretty much throw Washington out of the hat, too. Miami would be interesting, but you have to wonder both A) is KD going to think this looks like him copying Lebron and B) does he trust that Wade, Dragic, and Bosh can all stay healthy and have game long enough to really justify going there?

It makes a lot of basketball sense to go to Golden State, but for legacy and reputation purposes I think that'd be a career death move for him as one of the top stars in the league.

I think he stays in OKC and I hope he does. But if him moving allows us to trade for Blake or sign Barnes I'd be happy to see KD go.

Blake for sure, though I'm not sure Barnes would justify it. And that has nothing to do with those individual players. If Durant would go to Golden State allowing us to get Barnes, barring some significant injuries, there's no competing for us for probably three to five years. On the other hand, if Durant would go to LAC allowing us to get Blake, I don't think LAC would be all that much better.

[crownontherocks]

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/240650/Clippers-Willing-To-Deal-Blake-Griffin-For-Durant-In-Sign-And-Trade


The Los Angeles Clippers are determined to play out the season with Blake Griffin despite receiving trade calls on his availability.

The Clippers are expected to pursue Kevin Durant in free agency and wouldn't hesitate to trade away Griffin for him.

The Thunder would resist a sign-and-trade deal involving Durant until they're sure he would leave anyways.

Griffin is an Oklahoma native and he would give the Thunder the opportunity to acquire another perennial All-Star.

[fairweatherfan]

That would be preposterous.  But you'd have to think Durant would be concerned about the impression that he's the kid in the pickup game who can't win with his team so he just finds a way to latch onto the already-stacked dominant squad.  Durant doesn't seem to have a lot of ego though, so he might not care.

This does underscore one of the big problems (which some may not see as a problem) with the big salary cap jump - there's a unique opportunity for the most talent-laden teams to still add a superstar or two to the mix.  Whether this specific move happens or not, I'll bet we'll see it somewhere this offseason.

I mean, it worked for LeBron, didn't it?

LeBron more built his own stacked team; this would be closer to finding out who the best team already is and then manipulating your way onto their squad. 

As much as people hated the first approach, the second seems to be much more prone to any success being considered unearned.  I mean, they could win 67-70 games and a ring with Durant and people can still make a good argument that he didn't help them any.

[MJohnnyboy]

Do you guys really think professional athletes care about their "reputations" when it comes to leaving their original teams for somewhere better? Especially when they are in the prime of their careers? Lebron certainly didn't when he went to Miami to join his super friends. Why should Durant? If I were in Kevin Durant's shoes, I would think, Hey, as long as I'm getting paid hundreds of millions of dollars and as long I'm on a historically good team that will be in contention for the next 5-6 years like the Warriors will be, who cares what people will think of me as a player? I get to be filthy **** rich and I get to win. That's the dream for all NBA players. Getting the most glory and getting the most money. If people don't like it, they can kiss all the rings I'm going to get when I join the Dubs" I know that sounds like a sell-out, but honestly, I wouldn't blame Durant if he left OKC for the Warriors for those reasons.

However, I predict Durant's going to pull a Lebron and stay with the Thunder for one more year to give it one more shot before deciding whether or not to leave so that if he and Westbrook leave the Thunder, they do it at the same time.

[KG Living Legend]

 Honestly this would be horrible for the NBA. Great for Durant. Who would even watch the finals?

[Endless Paradise]

Do you guys really think professional athletes care about their "reputations" when it comes to leaving their original teams for somewhere better?

Yes, because these are hyper-competitive athletes with egos.

[fairweatherfan]

Do you guys really think professional athletes care about their "reputations" when it comes to leaving their original teams for somewhere better? Especially when they are in the prime of their careers?

Some of them definitely do.  I don't think LeBron's pride would've let him leave Cleveland to go to the Lakers and their existing championship core and established leader, for instance.  Or say, Barkley leaving Phoenix in the 90s to go latch on to Jordan's Bulls.  I'm just not sure Durant's the type to care about that. 

But as I said, the Warriors have already been so successful that it's almost impossible for him to objectively improve their performance.  There's not much individual glory in that, though the rings still count of course.

[PhoSita]

They should raise max contracts. Raise it from 25-30% to 40-50%.

To stop stars all gathering in the same place.

I have a feeling larger max contracts will be addressed in the next CBA.

[Endless Paradise]

Do you guys really think professional athletes care about their "reputations" when it comes to leaving their original teams for somewhere better? Especially when they are in the prime of their careers?

Some of them definitely do.  I don't think LeBron's pride would've let him leave Cleveland to go to the Lakers and their existing championship core and established leader, for instance.  Or say, Barkley leaving Phoenix in the 90s to go latch on to Jordan's Bulls.  I'm just not sure Durant's the type to care about that. 

But as I said, the Warriors have already been so successful that it's almost impossible for him to objectively improve their performance.  There's not much individual glory in that, though the rings still count of course.

I actually could see KD caring about that quite a bit. He's made a few public comments over the year kinda lamenting how people have seemingly forgot about him (and OKC, as an extension) in favor of newest stars like Steph, Kawhi, Anthony Davis, etc. He views himself as one of the elite players in the league, so I could certainly see the concept of essentially saying, "I can't do it by myself as the guy, let me go be part of a machine" playing a factor. I dunno how much he'll care, but KD's most certainly got a healthy ego about himself and his capabilities.