If the Warriors are a disaster this year - Does Durant leave?

[Moranis]

Let me be clear, disaster for the Warriors would be a pretty good season for a team like the Hawks, but let's say they win something like 60 games and not only don't win the title but don't make it out of the West.  Both clear step backs from where they just finished.  In that case, does Durant say, well this was a mistake and leave or does he have to tough it out?  And if he leaves, does he go back to OKC or somewhere else?

[saltlover]

Let me be clear, disaster for the Warriors would be a pretty good season for a team like the Hawks, but let's say they win something like 60 games and not only don't win the title but don't make it out of the West.  Both clear step backs from where they just finished.  In that case, does Durant say, well this was a mistake and leave or does he have to tough it out?  And if he leaves, does he go back to OKC or somewhere else?

I don't think he leaves unless the next CBA agreement tries to break them up.  Although if the Warriors don't win, it's less likely the CBA does that.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Let me be clear, disaster for the Warriors would be a pretty good season for a team like the Hawks, but let's say they win something like 60 games and not only don't win the title but don't make it out of the West.  Both clear step backs from where they just finished.  In that case, does Durant say, well this was a mistake and leave or does he have to tough it out?  And if he leaves, does he go back to OKC or somewhere else?

Maybe, but considering the jump in salary cap next year, and the eventual drop projected, Durant may go for a 5 year max deal next year.

[mr. dee]

Let me be clear, disaster for the Warriors would be a pretty good season for a team like the Hawks, but let's say they win something like 60 games and not only don't win the title but don't make it out of the West.  Both clear step backs from where they just finished.  In that case, does Durant say, well this was a mistake and leave or does he have to tough it out?  And if he leaves, does he go back to OKC or somewhere else?

Maybe, but considering the jump in salary cap next year, and the eventual drop projected, Durant may go for a 5 year max deal next year.

I thought Warriors doesn't hold Durant's bird rights.

[incoherent]

Next year he's going to sign a multi-year deal with whoever can afford him and is in the best situation to win for the length of his contract. That might not be the GSW.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Let me be clear, disaster for the Warriors would be a pretty good season for a team like the Hawks, but let's say they win something like 60 games and not only don't win the title but don't make it out of the West.  Both clear step backs from where they just finished.  In that case, does Durant say, well this was a mistake and leave or does he have to tough it out?  And if he leaves, does he go back to OKC or somewhere else?

Maybe, but considering the jump in salary cap next year, and the eventual drop projected, Durant may go for a 5 year max deal next year.

I thought Warriors doesn't hold Durant's bird rights.

Forgot that 5 years only apply to Bird FA.

[bopna]

Anything short of a title this upcoming season means a failure for them. This is a scenario that I am hoping for them. Not winning it all despite having 2 MVP caliber players in your roster really means it didnt worked out and frankly the only reason it worked out for Miami was because 1 of them trio sacrificed his status as a superstar in their case Bosh played third banana to LJ and even Wade stepped back a bit for the king...it almost didnt work again in 2013 and only got lucky because of the Ray Allen 3. This is why the king walked away. 2 out of 3 aint bad but it was as close as 1 out of 3 for them.

In GS case who steps back..Curry who is the current MVP would be ridiculed if he becomes the Wade of the group. And the pressure on KD is so much Its downright embarrasing if they dont win it all. Heck a less than 73 wins is considered a failure for this group..that is the kind of pressure KD stepped himself into and im so hoping they really do fail.

Now Im not so sure KD will walk away next yr regardless of what happens to their season. It would be an admission of a big failure of epic proportions and again embarrasing as well if KD bails out aft trial run so I really dont see him bailing out. The option to opt out was put in there so just to re up because of the rise in the cap but frankly KD will most definitely do a lebron and just re up next yr on the same team....He is sold on the idea that they will win it all one way or another with em however long it takes.

[Surferdad]

Yes I am sure he will.  He showed no allegiance to a team he played for for 9 years.  Why should he stay in GS.

[LGC88]

If they don't perform well, watch Green. You'll see the difference between Green winning and Green losing. Not fun to imagine though.

[JBcat]

Anything short of a title this upcoming season means a failure for them. This is a scenario that I am hoping for them. Not winning it all despite having 2 MVP caliber players in your roster really means it didnt worked out and frankly the only reason it worked out for Miami was because 1 of them trio sacrificed his status as a superstar in their case Bosh played third banana to LJ and even Wade stepped back a bit for the king...it almost didnt work again in 2013 and only got lucky because of the Ray Allen 3. This is why the king walked away. 2 out of 3 aint bad but it was as close as 1 out of 3 for them.

In GS case who steps back..Curry who is the current MVP would be ridiculed if he becomes the Wade of the group. And the pressure on KD is so much Its downright embarrasing if they dont win it all. Heck a less than 73 wins is considered a failure for this group..that is the kind of pressure KD stepped himself into and im so hoping they really do fail.

Now Im not so sure KD will walk away next yr regardless of what happens to their season. It would be an admission of a big failure of epic proportions and again embarrasing as well if KD bails out aft trial run so I really dont see him bailing out. The option to opt out was put in there so just to re up because of the rise in the cap but frankly KD will most definitely do a lebron and just re up next yr on the same team....He is sold on the idea that they will win it all one way or another with em however long it takes.

I think difference between the Heat then and the Warriors now, is the Heat had a legit inside presense and interior D with Bosh and the Warriors really don't have that now.  But the Warriors have a legitimite big 4 as opposed to a big 3. 

[Kuberski33]

Player option in Year 2 - he controls all the cards. 

[bdm860]

That's definitely the dream I currently have, and I think there's some precedent there.

Scottie Pippen signed (via sign-and-trade) with Houston in '99 to team with Olajuwon and Barkley.  Didn't get along with Barkley at all, felt that they just wanted him to sit in the corner and shoot 3's, asked to be traded after 1 year.

Similar (though far from identical) situation in Milwaukee in 2002.  A 52 win Bucks team 1 win away from the Finals already had current All-Stars in Ray Allen and Glenn Robinson, as well as Sam Cassell playing at an All-Star level, added another current All-Star in Anthony Mason.  Predicated by many to win the East.  Team butted heads, missed the playoffs entirely, and management decided to blow up the team the next year.


People overlook the fact that Kerr still has serious health issues.

You have a player in Draymond Green who basically called Klay Thompson a loser after the Finals, who admitted to chasing stats, and who has been known to regularly cuss out his coach and even had to be restrained from going after him at one point last season over an argument that started over Green's lack of shots.  And that was on a 73 win team!  There's many potential problems here for 2017.

Now I'm not saying the Warriors aren't going to work out or fail.  But I do see some ways it could fail.  Kerr misses significant time again, Green and Thompson aren't happy about reduced roles.  The new bench vets don't bring the same chemistry the previous ones did.  During a heated team meeting Durant tells Green to respect the coach and now Green has to be restrained from going after Durant.  A lot of things would have to go wrong for Durant to leave, but if the team falls short of expectations (maybe get knocked out in the 2nd round by a red hot and healthy Spurs or Clippers), Kerr's out and Mike Brown loses the locker room, and Durant and Draymond Green just don't get along that well, I could see Durant leaving.  Likely? No.  But within the realm of possibility?  Yes, I think so.

[Irish Stew]

Rename this thread "Celtics fans wishful thinking". It's time to move on completely from Durant to players like Butler, Okafor/Noel, Love, and Cousins.

[bopna]

That's definitely the dream I currently have, and I think there's some precedent there.

Scottie Pippen signed (via sign-and-trade) with Houston in '99 to team with Olajuwon and Barkley.  Didn't get along with Barkley at all, felt that they just wanted him to sit in the corner and shoot 3's, asked to be traded after 1 year.

Similar (though far from identical) situation in Milwaukee in 2002.  A 52 win Bucks team 1 win away from the Finals already had current All-Stars in Ray Allen and Glenn Robinson, as well as Sam Cassell playing at an All-Star level, added another current All-Star in Anthony Mason.  Predicated by many to win the East.  Team butted heads, missed the playoffs entirely, and management decided to blow up the team the next year.


People overlook the fact that Kerr still has serious health issues.

You have a player in Draymond Green who basically called Klay Thompson a loser after the Finals, who admitted to chasing stats, and who has been known to regularly cuss out his coach and even had to be restrained from going after him at one point last season over an argument that started over Green's lack of shots.  And that was on a 73 win team!  There's many potential problems here for 2017.

Now I'm not saying the Warriors aren't going to work out or fail.  But I do see some ways it could fail.  Kerr misses significant time again, Green and Thompson aren't happy about reduced roles.  The new bench vets don't bring the same chemistry the previous ones did.  During a heated team meeting Durant tells Green to respect the coach and now Green has to be restrained from going after Durant.  A lot of things would have to go wrong for Durant to leave, but if the team falls short of expectations (maybe get knocked out in the 2nd round by a red hot and healthy Spurs or Clippers), Kerr's out and Mike Brown loses the locker room, and Durant and Draymond Green just don't get along that well, I could see Durant leaving.  Likely? No.  But within the realm of possibility?  Yes, I think so.

So in essence..we want em to technically implode. Boy that would downright be poetic justice wont it.
I actually do see Klay being the most unhappy of this group followed by Green when all is said and done.

[Moranis]

Rename this thread "Celtics fans wishful thinking". It's time to move on completely from Durant to players like Butler, Okafor/Noel, Love, and Cousins.

Oh I don't think he will come to Boston, never did.  It just seems to me there is a lot of pressure to perform and if they don't perform I could see it ended badly and quickly.