The Durant Sweepstakes

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DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Van Everyman said:
If I'm Durant and I'm leaning GS, I def. pause a bit before I pull the trigger. It's one thing to collude with other players to build a super team a la the Heat. It's another thing to bolt to a franchise that is already a super team – esp. one that's conference rival that just set a regular season record for wins.

I'm not saying that would stop Durant from joining the Warriors. But if he does there will be no shortage of heat coming his way.
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He is going to get heat if he does anything but remain in OKC. The guy has been in the league a while and he hasn't ever been able to get over the hump, his team has hamstrung him with a flawed roster and a poor coach (until this season) and he already likely has generational wealth. He wants rings and if he is joining a team that gives him the best chance at that, he should get nothing but respect.

I don't know what people expect from these guys - they are simply doing what everyone else would do which is to do what they think is best for themselves.
 
Cesar Crespo

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In my lifetime said:
I made the same point several weeks ago. The NBA free agent system is a very poor one. Since unattractive teams (for whatever reason - location, noncompetitive, etc) can't outbid attractive teams, the NBA has a system where the only way for an unattractive team to substantially improve is to tank or get very lucky or be smart enough to draft a sleeper who turns into a stud or fleece another team (see - Nets) via trade. Players colluding to form "super teams" destroys competitive balance. Durant on GS would turn the NBA season into a "how many games can 1 team win", followed by a let's hope a couple GSW get hurt so the playoffs are interesting. I am not interested in that type of a NBA season. So it is time to do away with the max contract and use a more firm cap instead. Of course, this can only get done with a long negotiation. However, I am not sure who wouldn't want it ----- both parties will have something to like and hate. Players would love to do away with max contracts and owners would love to have more of a fixed cap.
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Superstars would love it. I'd guess the average player would hate it. If Kevin Durant is getting paid 55-60mil a year to play basketball, a guy like Mozgov isn't sniffing 4/64.
 
tbrep

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Durant can go wherever he wants and its up to him to decide what he values. Obviously, we love having rivalries and narratives about sporting heroes carrying teams but it's his life and if he wants to chill in San Fran winning titles and rolling in cash, absolutely his prerogative.

The NBA will always have the max contract but, really, that's the only thing to blame. If you had the same salary cap but no limits on contracts after rookie deals expire, this wouldn't be an issue. The union will never agree because the bottom 95% of players will see their salaries slashed and the league will never agree because the owners need protection from themselves.
 
Cellar-Door

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I still think the same thing I did before it started, back to OKC. However Celtics being in the likely final 3 better than expected, add to Horford signing and it's a very encouraging off season even if we don't get Durant.
 
the moops

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RoyHobbs said:
it's gonna be sad to see a pretty likeable/benign guy get depised by pretty much every hoops fan outside of the Bay Area.
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The Warriors were the most popular team in basketball last year. They will most likely be the most popular team again next year. They will be the most exciting sports team in my lifetime and I would pay good money to see them play against anyone. I imagine many fans feel the same way.
 
snowmanny

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the moops said:
The Warriors were the most popular team in basketball last year. They will most likely be the most popular team again next year. They will be the most exciting sports team in my lifetime and I would pay good money to see them play against anyone. I imagine many fans feel the same way.
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Yeah, I regularly hate teams, but I can't imagine why i'd hate the Warriors. Because they'd be really really really good instead of really really good?
 
Jed Zeppelin

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There never was much hope. Just a fool's hope.

Regardless, Horford alone is a good offseason. Still have lots of toys to play with now and in the near future, though I was looking forward to marveling at replacing Evan Turner with Kevin Durant.

On the bright side this puts Barnes in Dallas, presumably keeping them on a path away from an all-out tank.
 
PedroKsBambino

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The only team that could look at the Warriors roster with Durant and think "whatever, we go this" unfortunately plays a different sport....
 
DJnVa

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The call to West was just to let him know that he met Brady and he's going to Boston.
 
CreedBratton

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Jed Zeppelin said:
There never was much hope. Just a fool's hope.

Regardless, Horford alone is a good offseason. Still have lots of toys to play with now and in the near future, though I was looking forward to marveling at replacing Evan Turner with Kevin Durant.

On the bright side this puts Barnes in Dallas, presumably keeping them on a path away from an all-out tank.
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We already used Dallas pick. What am I missing??
 
Soxfan in Fla

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One of the things that has made GSW so good the last 2 seasons was the depth of their roster. If Durant signs there they lose a decent chunk of that depth which really exposes them to injury. If the core group stays healthy they could win 75. If 2 of the core group get hurt for significant stretches it could easily knock them down to 60 wins.
 
djbayko

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Section15Box113 said:
Took me a second to notice that the KD tweet is six years old.

Nothing to see here.
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Well, it wouldn't make any sense if it were recent. People will shove that tweet down his throat if he signs with GS. Yes, that tweet was made at a different time, and he has a right to feel that way then and differently now, but sports fans also have a right to view him as a hypocrite.
 
BigMike

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Van Everyman said:
If I'm Durant and I'm leaning GS, I def. pause a bit before I pull the trigger. It's one thing to collude with other players to build a super team a la the Heat. It's another thing to bolt to a franchise that is already a super team – esp. one that's conference rival that just set a regular season record for wins.

I'm not saying that would stop Durant from joining the Warriors. But if he does there will be no shortage of heat coming his way.
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But I have never considered OKC a superteam. They are a very good team that happened to get lucky, and get the best player in a good draft 2 straight years, despite only having the #2 and #4 picks. They had Harden for a short amount of time, and blew that trade in the end. They have never been able to get any quality veterans to come there to try and win with them

As someone who is largely hoops agnostic, I really think the best thing for the league, etc is that Durant stay in OKC.
GSW are top contenders without him
Celtics will be contenders soon without him

But if he goes to GS, so be it, I might actually buy tickets to see that team play
 
Section15Box113

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djbayko said:
Well, it wouldn't make any sense if it were recent. People will shove that tweet down his throat if he signs with GS.
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Fair. And that's why reading it without context was momentarily confusing.

But truth is, I was on the app and went through the pain of logging onto the mobile site in case it was real news. (No, I am not altogether well...)

So I maintain that my point holds.
 
RG33

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In order to break the bad mojo that this thread has been overtaken by:

I am reporting that KD is leaning towards joining Boston.
 
Jed Zeppelin

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DrewDawg said:
That they won't tank and be worse than Nets.
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Bingo. Memphis is another I was concerned about if Conley bailed and they traded Gasol while they still could. A lot of the really bad teams are getting better around Brooklyn.
 
PedroKsBambino

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DeJesus Built My Hotrod said:
Oh this will be the response if he goes to GS but there will be equal scorn if he goes to Boston (for abandoning OKC). These guys simply cannot win and hopefully he realizes that in this process.
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I think there will be far less for going to Boston than going to GS; while both are leaving your 'nba home' one is clearly ring-chasing or free loading, the other is trying to help a team get there. I don't think he should care personally---he should go play where he wants to play, in the kind of system he thinks will be most fun for him. I don't begrudge him feeling that is GS right now...but imagine many will.
 
SoxFanInPdx

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If Durant wants to be a leader and guide a team to the title, it won't be with GSW. Curry and Thompson are the players that are the established and familiar leaders on that team. Most NBA fans would turn against Durant if he joined GSW, and rightfully so. Same situation in a lot of aspects with what LeBron did.

The blueprint to beat the Warriors was released by the Cavs a month ago. The west is a season-long grind to even GET to the Finals. The east is through the Cavs and that's it. In the west, the margin of error is much higher.
 
Nick Kaufman

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After a certain point a team becomes so strong that it ends up like Kramer against kids in karate. Kramer is dominating the dojo but he isn't really doing anything interesting or admirable.
 
snowmanny

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Nick Kaufman said:
After a certain point a team becomes so strong that it ends up like Kramer against kids in karate. Kramer is dominating the dojo but he isn't really doing anything interesting or admirable.
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Yeah, I'm so old I can remember the first time that happened:

 
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