How This Deal impacts Golden State Warriors
When a player of Kevin Durant’s caliber could potentially be acquired in a trade, you have to do your due diligence. There may have been some hurt feelings when he left for the Brooklyn Nets but the Golden State Warriors have become this successful because they are committed to winning.
Coming off of a championship, do they need Durant? Probably not, but you can be sure that they would explore what it would cost to acquire him. Adding him to the mix would make them championship favorites for as long as they can keep the band together.
The price to land him would not be cheap, however. Andrew Wiggins would have to be included to help match salaries as Durant is earning $44.1 million in the first season of his four-year extension. After that, the Warriors are including a good chunk of all of their young talent.
Looking to make up for the lack of draft compensation, as they can only offer two unprotected firsts, Jordan Poole is included. This would help Golden State figure out how to allocate their money in the future as Poole and Wiggins could both have lucrative contracts starting in the 2023-24 season.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets & Golden State Warriors Updates
With them no longer in the fold, paying Draymond Green becomes much easier. Including James Wiseman and Moses Moody leaves them with only Jonathan Kuminga as a building block from the two years they missed the playoffs but it is worth acquiring Durant for.
While the Warriors can build a competitive package to land Durant, the question would be, should they? They are already contenders and keeping the young players would give them a chance to contend for another decade not just another two or three seasons, which going all-in for Durant would likely lead to.
