Free Agency: OKC’s Biggest Competition for Kevin Durant
By Ben Bundy
1. Golden State Warriors
Rumors are all over the place that Durant has shown serious interest in signing with Golden State if he leaves Oklahoma City. That is personally the only reason I have them at first. The Warriors have shown to be an elite team in the last two seasons and would definitely be a tempting place for Kevin Durant to go during free agency.
Why Durant would sign here
Golden State can surround Durant with one of the most talented young lineups in the NBA. He would no longer have to worry about double-teams or swarming defense thanks to the shooting of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. The Warriors would also provide a chance for Durant to play against bigger players because of the versatility that he and Draymond Green could provide. Playing with these other stars would take a lot of the load off of Durant, so he would likely take on less wear and tear during the season. Also, Durant has said that the opportunities outside of basketball that the Oakland/San Francisco area present interest him. They are definitely the Thunder’s biggest competition in free agency right now.
Why Durant wouldn’t sign there
While the idea of having Durant, Curry, Thompson and Green all playing together might sound like it would make the Warriors even better, there’s a good chance it wouldn’t. The Warriors have perfected the team’s dynamic right now. Throwing another MVP and scorer into the mix could potentially shake everything up in a bad way. You would have three pure scorers all have to share shots, which could lead to none of them matching the personal success they’re used to. Something like this is possibly enough to take an elite team in the wrong direction.