Breaking Down How Kevin Durant Fits After Signing with Golden State Warriors
The biggest riddle of the NBA offseason is solved: Kevin Durant, this summer's free-agency grand prize, is headed to the Golden State Warriors.
The former MVP declared his decision Monday morning on the Players' Tribune in an announcement titled "My Next Chapter." Durant thanked the Oklahoma City Thunder but stressed the importance of a new environment:
"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. But I am also at a point in my life where it is of equal importance to find an opportunity that encourages my evolution as a man: moving out of my comfort zone to a new city and community which offers the greatest potential for my contribution and personal growth. With this in mind, I have decided that I am going to join the Golden State Warriors.
"
ESPN.com's Marc Stein shared details of the contract:
Before factoring in Durant, the Warriors' salary bill stands at roughly $75.4 million, according to Spotrac. With a $94.1 million salary cap set for 2016-17, the Dubs will move on from some important cogs and let go of Harrison Barnes and Festus Ezeli to create sufficient room.
Barnes has reportedly reached a verbal agreement on a four-year, $94 million offer sheet with the Dallas Mavericks, per Stein, and the Warriors have renounced their rights to Ezeli, per The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears.
It also appears as though Golden State will be sending starting center Andrew Bogut to the Dallas Mavericks, per Stein.
Storylines
Other than the Thunder and the Warriors, Durant met with the Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio Spurs, Boston Celtics and Miami Heat, according to the San Francisco Chronicle's Rusty Simmons. In the end, the team responsible for his postseason exit left the best impression on the court and at the negotiating table.
Two league MVPs are pairing up in their prime, with one of the league's most impressive supporting casts set to back them up.
Let that sink in for a moment.
If facing the best-ever regular-season team was nightmarish this past year, the other 29 franchises now face an even greater challenge.
Even though Durant took his time for due diligence, his choice comes as a bit of a surprise. The Thunder were fresh off a 55-win season and fell just one game short of reaching the NBA Finals. It's mildly perplexing that he'd abandon running mate Russell Westbrook, but joining Golden State is still a logical basketball decision.
Durant's addition upgrades the Warriors to a dynasty in the making—if they weren't already—and there's no doubt the 2015 NBA champions will leapfrog the competition as the overwhelming favorites to bring the title back.
His decision also has the potential to affect other teams across the Association. Realizing that a virtually unconquerable foe awaits, those on the edge of title contention might opt to blow their rosters up and begin the rebuilding process in advance.
X's and O's
The Warriors scored 112.5 points per 100 possessions last season, leading the league in offensive efficiency. Adding a four-time scoring champion to the starting lineup should only bolster that.
The league never truly managed to figure out Golden State's lethal pick-and-roll combinations, with shooters spotting up around the primary action. The Warriors' ball-handlers scored 0.98 points per possession during those situations, leading the league by far.
Durant's prowess, both as a ball-handler and a screener, will only further perplex helpless defenders. His threat as an isolation scorer and underrated passer—his five assists per game ranked second among small forwards—will also alleviate pressure from Stephen Curry, who will now utilize his stellar off-ball instincts on a regular basis.
Of the 109 players with at least 50 isolations this past season, Durant ranked 16th in terms of scoring efficiency, averaging 0.99 points per possession on such plays.
The Dubs shouldn't miss a beat defensively either. Durant has improved immensely on that end, showing a capability to hang with guards on the perimeter. The Warriors should continue to thrive with small-ball groups, switching any screening action at will.
The Thunder surrendered 2.4 fewer points per 100 possessions with Durant on the court last season. Opponents shot 6.3 percentage points below their average against him during the regular season, and that figure dropped to 7.7 percentage points in the playoffs.
Durant would be an excellent fit on any team in the world, but he'll have unprecedented room playing next to two of the greatest shooters ever in Curry and Klay Thompson.
Fit and Finish
The Warriors' starting lineup looks daunting, but the challenge will be filling out the bench. Golden State must now wave goodbye to multiple pieces from a trusted supporting cast.
Golden State will likely take a page out of the Miami Heat's book, who filled out their roster with minimum contracts upon securing the services of LeBron James and Chris Bosh alongside Dwyane Wade back in 2010. Veterans around the league who want to experience one last championship run should flock to the Dubs.
Regardless of how Warriors general manager Bob Myers fills out his roster, there's no doubt this blockbuster acquisition is an incredible feat.
With Bogut gone, Golden State plans to permanently move Draymond Green to center, according to Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News. It would unleash one of the scariest starting lineups of all time, but there are still lingering concerns with that proposition.
Green would have to endure an entire season of physical punishment down low, and fighting bigger players in the paint wears on anyone's body. Cleveland Cavaliers big man Tristan Thompson dominated the glass in the 2016 NBA Finals, and rebounding could be a concern for the Dubs during a potential Finals rematch and over the course of the season.
Durant signed a two-year deal with a second-year player option, according to Stein, which suggests he will look to opt out and sign a long-term max contract when the salary cap jumps yet again next summer. Curry and Andre Iguodala will also be unrestricted free agents then, meaning Golden State will be capped out for a while if it keeps its core intact.
Durant and Curry have (seemingly) always been on the humble spectrum when it comes to superstars, so chemistry shouldn't be an issue. Everyone will have to sacrifice shots to create room for Durant, but that hasn't been a problem with this group in the past.
Witnessing the basketball excellence that will brew in Oracle Arena will be an unfathomable sight, and Golden State's new, improved superteam will send shock waves around the league.
All statistics via NBA.com or Basketball-Reference.com, unless otherwise noted.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
