Kevin Durant has a history of switching teams, but does that mean that he’ll never settle down? Will Kevin Durant possibly leave the Nets too one day?
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The former Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors superstar chose the Brooklyn Nets after his time with Golden State had seemingly come to an end. But, why did it have to come to an end? After all, the Warriors had everything they needed to stay successful.
The were perennial championship contenders, and even though they lost the 2019 Finals, it wasn’t because of their lack of talent. Klay Thompson and Durant were both injured for critical stretches of the playoffs, and in the end the Warriors didn’t have enough. But still, why would Durant leave such a great opportunity to continue winning?
At least when he left Oklahoma City, there was some reasoning. Durant and Westbrook had tried to cooperate for years, but they only had one Finals appearance to show for it. So, when he left for Golden State, it was easy to connect the dots. However, after leaving Golden State too, could we Durant leave yet another franchise?
Kevin Durant Can’t Seem To Stay In One City For Too Long, Will Durant Leave The Brooklyn Nets Too?
As it stands, Durant signed a 4-year, $164 million contract with the Brooklyn Nets in 2019. He missed his entire first season due to an Achilles injury that took him out during the Warriors playoff run the year before. However, after coming back, Durant has been nothing short of dynamite.
He averaged 26.9 points per game on 53.7% field goal shooting and 45% three point shooting. In the playoffs, he’s stepped it up another level.
He’s scoring a blistering 32 points per game on 55, 50, 90 shooting splits. Nobody has been able to slow down the Slim Reaper, and it’s safe to say that nobody probably will. Durant and the Nets did take a tough loss to the Bucks in game 3, but they still look like the favorites to win it all this year.
Getting back to the subject of this article, Durant’s contract expires after the 2022-23 season, where he could hit the open market again. What are his options then?
Well, for one, if the Nets are indeed as successful as they’re shaped up to be, and Harden and Irving stick around, there’s a good chance Durant might actually stay in one city. Towards the end of the Warriors dynasty, there was serious discomfort in the Golden State locker room as Draymond Green and Durant would often have words for each other.
However, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be that way just yet for the Nets. Durant, Irving, and Harden all collectively chose to play with each other. That’s what separates this Nets team from other superteams in the past. It wasn’t just one player signing over like we saw with LeBron James and the Heat or Durant himself with the Warriors.
Instead, it was multiple superstars choosing to team up with each other. That distinction might be the key difference maker when it comes to choosing where Durant chooses to go after 2023. Harden, Irving, and Durant are only scratching the surface of how good they can be as the playoffs have been the most time they’ve played together consistently all season long.
If this trio can stay healthy and committed to winning, we could see them around for a long time. However, this is all conversation for the far future. Right now, Brooklyn must prove they can win a championship before anything else.
