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NBA Rumors: Kevin Durant To The Warriors Still Makes The Most Sense

By Phillip Dengler
Published on: 14:21 PST, May 7, 2016

While the Oklahoma City Thunder are currently in a battle for their playoff lives with the San Antonio Spurs, rumors are continuing to heat up regarding Kevin Durant and his potential free agency destination this summer. After finishing with a record of 55-27, the Thunder were once again one of the better teams in the entire NBA this season. Regardless, things for Durant in Oklahoma City may be coming to an end, and the latest rumors believe that he could be joining the Golden State Warriors.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Durant has been linked to the New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs, and Los Angeles Lakers over the past few months. While cases can be made for Durant joining the Knicks, Celtics, and Lakers, his ultimate goal is to win a championship at this point in his career. At 27-years-old, Durant is still a young man, but he wants to give himself the best possible chance to add a few titles to his already impressive resume.

That basically leaves the Warriors and Spurs as the top destinations for Durant. While they have not been mentioned until recently, the Spurs are reportedly extremely interested in Durant, according to ESPN.

“The stately Spurs, league sources say, are just as intrigued as Golden State by the thought of making a run at Durant come July 1.”

With an already loaded roster, it could be difficult to fit Durant into the mix. While there is always room for a player like Durant on any NBA team, he is not a prototypical player that the Spurs have had over the tenure of head coach Greg Popovich. Regardless, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili are in the twilight of their careers, and the Spurs could finally add a player with Durant’s skill set to their roster.

While there is a chance that Durant decides to re-sign with the Thunder, it is becoming more and more apparent that he could be looking for a change of scenery. The remainder of this year’s playoffs could factor heavily in Durant’s decision. With the Thunder currently down 2-1 to the superior Spurs, they are going to have to play perfect basketball in order to win the series. Since this will likely be another season without a championship, it could be the final straw in Durant deciding to leave.

As Yahoo! Sports notes, the Warriors and Spurs are probably better situations for Durant over the course of the next few years.

“Durant is left with a supporting cast that is good, but doesn’t match the greatness in San Antonio and Golden State. He’s left with a developing NBA head coach in Billy Donovan, who’ll someday be excellent in this league. For now, he’s learning on the job in the playoffs and that’s no match for Gregg Popovich.”

After finishing the regular season with a record of 73-9, the Warriors just completed possibly the greatest season in NBA history. Led by 28-year-old Stephen Curry, Durant could join a team that is already elite. While there is only one basketball, the Warriors are viewed as an unselfish team. While Durant’s current teammate, Russell Westbrook, is a great player, many NBA analysts and insiders believe that he holds Durant back.

In yesterday’s loss to the Spurs, Durant shot 10-18 for 26 points. Westbrook shot 10-31 for 31 points. In other words, Westbrook took 13 more shots than Durant and only scored an additional five points. While many around the league blame Durant for not demanding the ball more, Westbrook is still a star in this league. Durant may be the better scorer, but Westbrook believes that he is just as good. This duo has led to a lot of wins, but it makes no sense to not feed the better offensive player as much as possible.

In joining the Warriors, Durant could potentially join Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. Since Durant is going to cost a lot of money, the Warriors may have to get rid of some of their role players, but they will be practically unstoppable on offense. Whether or not the Warriors want to mess with their chemistry remains to be seen, but Durant could somehow make them better than they already are, and that is a scary thought.

Rumors will continue to link Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant to the Golden State Warriors. While Durant could return to the Thunder, the result of the current series with the San Antonio Spurs could factor heavily into the decision.

[Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images]

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