No matter what you think of Kevin Durant he is easily the 2nd best player in the NBA right now. He’s definitely the best scorer in the league and is the reigning 2-time Finals MVP whilst averaging 32 points, 9.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game on 54% shooting from the field and 44.2% from 3-point land over those NBA Finals.
He has already solidified himself as an all-time great, but where does he go from here?
He’s got one more year with the Warriors before becoming a free-agent again and should the Warriors successfully pull off the three-peat then Kevin Durant might up and leave GSW as players like Klay Thompson and Draymond Green will demand a lot more money meaning that KD will either have to be paid less or leave.
Here are some reasons why KD should leave the Warriors after next season.
4. Scoring
KD is easily one of the best scorers we’ve ever seen. He’s 6 foot 9 with 7 foot 4 wingspan. He can score in more ways than anyone else in history. He’s a career 27 points a night on 49% from the floor and has shot above 50% from the floor each of the past 6 seasons.
He also shoots nearly 39% from beyond the arc and shoots nearly 89% from the foul line. Wherever you put this guy he will get you points.
If he wants to add to his 4 scoring titles and his overall rank in the scoring charts he will need to move elsewhere to a team that doesn’t have 2 other scorers on their roster like he has now with Steph and Klay.
Most people think Michael Jordan is the greatest scorer ever, but if Durant leaves GSW and lights it up for the next 5 years which he easily can do then MJ might have to look over his shoulder.
3. Money
Thanks to the latest TV rights deal NBA salaries have skyrocketed in the past few years meaning player like LeBron, Curry and Westbrook will be earning well over $40 million a season.
It’s time for Durant to cash on and reap the rewards for making the NBA a huge cash-cow.
Durant signed a contract for only $61 million to keep the option open for the Warriors, and while that is noble I wouldn’t bet on him repeating that in the future. The Warriors are probably going to win it all this season and Durant will most likely be the MVP of the Finals. 3 titles and Finals MVPs in as many years might be enough for Durant to think it’s time to shop around.
2. Team Chemistry
According to reports the tension in the Warriors locker room has been building as the stress of being on top takes its toll. When you’re fighting to get to the top you only have to deal with what’s in front of you. When you are at the top you face challenges from all sides and it is much harder to deal with.
The Warriors should win again this year, but should they fall short to the Rockets or the Celtics then that tension will probably boil over.
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1. Legacy
Kevin Durant is already an all-time great, but he still has the potential to become a top 10 player of all time. The majority of the sports world lost a lot of respect for Durant when he choose to go to the 73-9 Warriors after losing to them in the Conference Finals in 2016.
Everyone lost a lot of respect for LeBron when he left Cleveland and went to Miami, but he is now one of the most revered figures in all of sport. Durant has this opportunity. If he left GSW after next season and went to another team and then lead them to a title people would start to argue his case as a top 10 player.
Durant might not care now about what people feel about him, but he’s only going to be a pro for the next 5-7 years, retirement is the majority of your life and that’s a lot of time to sit around and think “what if?”
