Why is Kevin Durant joining the Golden State Warriors?
Kevin Durant is joining the Warriors after his Thunder took Golden State to the brink of elimination in the Western Conference finals last season. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Is Kevin Durant a superstar?
Durant was a bonafide superstar and, in the summer of 2016, an unrestricted free agent as well. In the 2015-16 season, Durant and the Thunder built a 3-1 lead on the defending-champion Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference finals.
Does Kevin Durant think the Warriors will move past Draymond's punch?
While Durant insists that the Warriors current situation is wildly different than his own, he told ESPN's Nick Friedell that he thinks the Warriors will move past it. KD is confident that Draymond's punch isn't going to derail the Warriors -- but he also understands that it's "not the same situation," that he and Draymond dealt with back in 2018.
What did Jerry West say about Kevin Durant to the Warriors?
The Warriors held their meeting with Durant on Friday. On Saturday, Durant spoke with NBA legend Jerry West, a member of the Warriors' executive board, on the phone, sources told ESPN's Chris Broussard. West outlined the reasons he thought Golden State would be the ideal fit for the superstar forward.
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Is Kevin Durant moving to the Warriors?
In 2021, Kevin Durant stated why he opted to join the Warriors following the 2015-16 NBA season. Durant wanted to play basketball in its purest form, which is what Golden State offered him, while also playing for a team with NBA championship experience.
Who did Kevin Durant sign to?
Durant joined the Nets via a sign-and-trade deal in the summer of 2019 and signed a contract extension with the team last offseason. He is under contract through the 2025-26 season.
Who just signed with Golden State Warriors?
Key changes. Signed guard Donte DiVincenzo to two-year, $9.2 million contract. Re-signed center Kevon Looney to three-year, $22.5 million contract. Signed forward JaMychal Green to one-year, $2.6 million contract.
Who did Kevin Durant sign with 2022?
For Now. Nearly two months after Durant made a trade request with four years left on his contract, he and the Nets appear to have reconciled their differences heading into the 2022-23 season.
Did the Warriors trade Durant?
Durant's time with the Warriors ended in 2019 when he departed for the Brooklyn Nets in a sign-and-trade deal.
Has Kevin Durant requested a trade?
However, Durant eventually rescinded his trade request, opting to return to the Nets for the 2022-23 campaign alongside Kyrie Irving, and the superstar provided some insight into why he decided to return while meeting with reporters Friday: "I was upset, and as a family, they understood that I was upset.
How much does Jordan Poole make?
The 23-year old will earn $3.9 million this upcoming season before his extension triggers in 2023-24.
Who is number 46 on Golden State Warriors?
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Why did Durant want traded?
Those who know Durant cite two primary factors: a rocky Nets season that ended in a first-round playoff sweep; and the franchise's soured relationship with Irving, his close friend… So back to Durant, and his purported reasons for wanting out.
Is Durant staying with Nets?
We will make decisions in the best interest of the Brooklyn Nets.” Durant and the Nets flamed out in the playoffs each of the last two years and had loads of off-court troubles, yet the superstar forward will remain in Brooklyn.
Who can trade for Durant?
Four teams have been mentioned as the main Durant suitors: the Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, and Boston Celtics. Phoenix is Durant's preferred destination so he can play alongside Devin Booker, but the Suns reportedly have not yet included the significant draft compensation Brooklyn is looking for.
Is Kevin Durant signed to Roc Nation?
Another star free agent, Kevin Durant, signed with Roc Nation in 2013. Since then, he has become to be represented solely by his agent and business partner Rich Kleiman. Kleiman helped launch Roc Nation, starting on the music side before transitioning to sports and working with Durant.
Who is Kevin Durant's agent?
Rich KleimanRich Kleiman — New Heights Youth, Inc. Rich Kleiman is Kevin Durant's manager, as well as co-founder and business partner in Thirty Five Ventures.
What did the Warriors get in return for Kevin Durant?
would have been left with the $9.3M (and eventually no Wiggins/Kuminga) if Durant did not cooperate to help. That's not all. The Warriors received a 2021 first-round pick that was top-three protected. When the Wolves got the seventh overall pick in the 2021 draft, that selection went to the Warriors.
What is sign and trade in the NBA?
In the National Basketball Association (NBA), a sign-and-trade deal is a type of transaction allowed by the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) where one franchise/team signs an unrestricted free agent or restricted free agent player to a new contract, only to then immediately trade him to another team of the ...
How much did Kevin Durant sign for the Warriors?
Warriors the greatest team ever with Durant? Durant is expected to sign a two-year, $54.3 million contract, sources told ESPN's Marc Stein. The deal will include a player option after the first year.
How many NBA Finals has Kevin Durant played?
He won the MVP in 2014, has been named first-team All-NBA five times and has made seven All-Star teams. He has appeared in four Western Conference finals and one NBA Finals, in which he lost in five games to the Heat in 2012.
What did Presti say about Durant?
Presti said he was alerted to Durant's final choice in a phone call from Durant on Monday morning a few minutes before the announcement. "It was disappointing, it was hurtful; but at the end of the day, it was what he felt was best for him," Presti said.
What teams did Durant meet with?
The biggest catch on the free-agent market, Durant met with six teams over the past three days: Oklahoma City, Golden State, San Antonio, Boston, Miami and the Los Angeles Clippers. The Warriors held their meeting with Durant on Friday.
How many surgeries did Kevin Durant have?
Durant bounced back last season to earn second-team All-NBA honors after undergoing three surgeries to repair a Jones fracture on his right foot suffered before the 2014-15 season, in which he was limited to 27 games before undergoing a season-ending bone graft procedure in March.
How many wins did Golden State have in the NBA?
Golden State set an NBA regular-season record with 73 wins and led the league in scoring last season, but the Warriors fell just short of a repeat NBA title and lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games. ESPN staff writer Royce Young and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
How much is Durant's contract worth?
Durant is expected to sign a two-year, $54.3 million contract, sources told ESPN's Marc Stein. The deal will include a player option after the first year.
When did Kevin Durant become the youngest player to win the MVP?
Ever since he burst on the NBA scene in 2007, Kevin Durant amassed accolade after accolade playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder franchise. By the start of the 2015-16 season, he had claimed a Rookie of the Year award, became the youngest scoring champion in NBA history, was named NBA MVP in 2014 and made multiple All-Star and All-NBA teams.
Did Kevin Durant move to California?
His move to California paid off — for both he and the Warriors — in quick fashion. Behind Durant and the rest of the Warriors’ star-studded crew, Golden State went a combined 125-39 from 2016-18 and was 32-6 in the postseason during that stretch. The Warriors made their third and fourth straight Finals in 2017 and ’18, with Durant winning Finals MVP both times as Golden State dispatched the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-1 in ’17 and 4-0 in ’18.
Did Kevin Durant sign with the Warriors?
On July 7, 2016, that notion became truth as Durant signed with the Warriors to join a lineup that already included All-Stars Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green as well as 2015 Finals MVP Andre Iguodala.
Where did Kevin Durant sign with the Warriors?
Jul 7, 2016; Oakland, CA , USA; Kevin Durant poses for a photo with his jersey during a press conference after signing with the Golden State Warriors at the Warriors Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
How old was Kevin Durant when he said "now everybody wanna play for the heat and the lakers"?
How could Kevin Durant join the Warriors with what he said in 2010? Durant tweeted “Now everybody wanna play for the heat and the Lakers? Let’s go back to being competitive and going at these peoples!” The six-year-old tweet by Durant is being brought into new light, as many people are confused as why Durant would do the exact thing he said NBA players shouldn't do.
How many championships did Durant win?
Durant will no doubt be hurting his legacy, as he was unable to bring a championship to the Thunder as planned. I don't care if he wins 10 championships in Golden State, because all he did was make a championship team even better, which is not what a superstar in the NBA should strive to do.
Did LeBron join the Cavaliers?
LeBron's move may have been a bit more respectable however, as LeBron didn't join the teams that continued to beat him with the Cavaliers, which is what Durant is doing by signing with the Golden State Warriors.
Is Kevin Durant hypocrite?
Maybe Durant was expecting that he would have a championship by 2016 in 2010, because he is making the same move the players who joined the Heat and the Lakers did. Kevin Durant could be called a lot of things right now, and add hypocrite to the list.
Looking back at his decision
In his famous Players’ Tribune feature titled ‘My Next Chapter ‘, he explained why he left OKC. “ The primary mandate I had for myself in making this decision was to have it based on the potential for my growth as a player — as that has always steered me in the right direction.
Kevin Durant finally gets his ring
At Warriors, Durant joined back-to-back MVP winner Steph Curry and formed an iconic duo. They also had All-Stars Klay Thompson and Draymond Green on their team. The Warriors had won a ring back in 2015 without Durant, and now they had all the help in the world to do it again.
Not the ending Durant wanted
Next season, they came in 2nd seed in the regular season. The first seed, Houston Rockets, were among the favorites to win the title. They battled with the Warriors in a seven-game series during the Conference Finals, but the Warriors sneaked out with after clinching Game 7.
What team did Kevin Durant join?
So, the best team he could join was the Golden State Warriors. So he joined the Golden State Warriors.
Who did Kevin Durant play with?
Kevin Durant was a top 5 player in the NBA, and instead of being stuck with another top 5 player in Russell Westbrook, he went to play with the second best player in Steph Curry (LeBron still is king). This was a definite cowardly move and Durant just took the easy way out to a championship.
Why did Kevin Durant leave the Thunder?
Kevin Durant left the Thunder because the Warriors guaranteed him all the fame and glory, and, most importantly-championships and respect . 2. He wasn’t loyal to the OKC Thunder. According to an exclusive interview with Bleacher Report, Kevin Durant said “there’s no such thing as loyalty in the NBA”.
How many seasons has Kevin Durant been with the Thunder?
Kevin durant has been with the Oklahoma City Thunder since they drafted him 2nd overall in 2007. (Previously Seattle Supersonics) So, that is now 9 seasons without winning much. Now, put yourself in Durant`s shoes. (No, I don't mean your KDs.)
Why did Golden State not need Kevin Durant?
(Probably the biggest reason) Durant wanted to win a championship. He was tired of being on a team that almost made the Finals, or lost in the Finals.
Did KD go to the Warriors?
This is a tricky one to answer. It could be easy to say that KD went to the warriors simply for a championship, but it runs deeper in my estimation. He could have gone to the Finals again with Westbrook had he stayed, after all he was one game away from beating the warriors in 2016.
Has Kevin Durant ever seen a ring?
Kevin Durant has had many season of being one of the best, if not the best player the most recent season he got the MVP, and has yet to see a ring. Looking at Carmelo Anthony, he is an amazing player and will never be forgotten, but has yet to acquire a ring and that gets frustrating.
