The Golden State Warriors soon will cease to exist as we’ve come to know them.
That’s the conclusion of an anonymous Warriors player, who told The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson II on Tuesday he believes Kevin Durant’s recent on-court spat with Draymond Green signals his impending departure from the team.
Durant can opt out of his contract next summer and become an unrestricted free agent, and his reluctance to commit his future to the Warriors, publicly or privately, reportedly fueled the fury Green directed toward him Monday night.
The Warriors fined and suspended Green for Tuesday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks, but the anonymous player believes Golden State’s effort to placate Durant won’t convince him to re-sign with the team.
“With what was said, there is already no way Durant is coming back,” the Warrior told Thompson. “The only hope is that they can say this summer, ‘See, KD. We’ve got your back. We protected you from Draymond.’ ”
Durant’s future has been a leading NBA storyline for months, as rumors claim the Warriors reportedly are bracing themselves for his departure to the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks or another marquee franchise.
However, the heated exchange with Green and subsequent reports about its root causes might prevent Durant from controlling the narrative over his next career choice — one which undoubtedly will prompt an outpouring of opinion from all corners of the basketball world.
