“It doesn’t seem like he cares about his basketball future, about how people look at him, his legacy” - Rob Parker on Kevin Durant losing the respect of the basketball community and potential Warriors reunion

Where Kevin Durant will land after requesting that Brooklyn Nets team owner Joe Tsai trade him remains the biggest unanswered question this offseason. One of the most improbable, but not impossible, destinations is the Golden State Warriors, which KD left three years ago.

The former MVP going back to the Bay Area team seems like an extremely unlikely scenario. Yet stranger things have happened in basketball. More importantly, for some analysts, Durant wouldn’t mind going back there at the risk of further damaging his legacy.

Rob Parker on "The Odd Couple" podcast, stated his thoughts on a potential KD reunion with the Warriors:

“I don't think he should, but given the way that he’s responded and acted, it doesn’t seem like he cares about his basketball future, about how people look at him, his legacy. I think he’s thrown it out the window, I really do. I said this before and imma stand by it. Basketball-wise, he’s lost basketball respect in the community.”

Kevin Durant previously tweeted that his legacy was already dead the moment he decided to bail out of the OKC Thunder for the Warriors. If that’s what he seriously thought about his legacy, then a second stint at Golden State could be something he would not hesitate to do.

The veteran Fox Sports analyst said:

“The NBA should step in to stop it if there was even a chance of it, I really do. I think it would be bad for the league. I’m dead serious, it would be bad business and bad for the league if KD rejoined the Warriors.”

Marc J. Spears reported that the Golden State Warriors could offer Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman and future first-round picks. If Kevin Durant reunites with his Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, they’ll be overwhelming favorites in the next two or three years.

Going after Durant will also mean the Warriors will have to reset in four to five years. KD will likely be gone again, while the championship core will be on the wrong side of thirty.

Warriors team owner Joe Lacob has repeatedly insisted he wants a team that can compete every year. Doing the trade will be the exact opposite of that.

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The Brooklyn Nets are in no hurry to trade Kevin Durant

The Brooklyn Nets could hold on to Kevin Durant if they can't find the right offer. [Photo: New York Post]

There is a very real possibility that Kevin Durant will remain with the Brooklyn Nets next season and even in the future. KD’s contract with the Nets doesn’t end until after the 2025-26 season. Brooklyn is believed to still be waiting for a “historic haul” that’ll entice them to move Durant.

The Phoenix Suns, one of KD’s preferred destinations, could offer Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and five first-round picks. As loaded as it looks, that still may not be enough after what the Utah Jazz acquired after trading Rudy Gobert.

Several basketball analysts have already made assumptions that, should a trade happen, it’ll likely involve more than two teams.

Rob Parker took another shot at Kevin Durant after a list of teams he reportedly wants to play for surfaced:

“I’ve talked to some former players and some people off the record, just in conversations, and most of them say and shake their head. They can’t believe what he did, and this notion that he wants to go either to Miami or Phoenix. They said like, ‘Who is this guy? Does he wanna compete?’”

Brooklyn will play hardball in negotiations and will take their sweet time. They will also likely go for a trade that gives them the best return, regardless of the preferred teams KD wants to play for.