Kevin Durant Believed to Want to Stay with Warriors Past This Season

Golden State Warriors superstar forward Kevin Durant reportedly might sign a short-term contract extension with the Dubs so he can play at least one season at the Chase Center, the organization's new arena that's scheduled to open for the 2019-20 NBA campaign.

On Friday, Marc Stein of the New York Times reported Durant, who can utilize a player option to become a free agent after the upcoming season, could opt to move with the Warriors from Oakland to San Francisco after "spending so much off-court time in his first two seasons immersing himself in the Silicon Valley culture."

The two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP has shed light on what he's planning to do after trying to help the Warriors capture their third straight championship.

Durant told Nick Friedell of ESPN.com last week he plans to provide more transparency about his decision-making process compared to his switch from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Warriors in 2016:

"Just be honest. I was honest with my decision, but just like outwardly if people ask me about it, don't be ashamed to talk about why I decided to move teams and switch teams because it's not the end of the world. I didn't do anything against the law, you know what I'm saying? That's what I thought happened the first time."

Although any team would benefit from adding the nine-time All-Star selection, Stein noted there's been "widespread rumbles that Durant will seriously consider signing with the [New York] Knicks next summer."

It will be impossible to keep track of all the rumors and speculation about the 30-year-old Washington, D.C. native's future between now and next summer.

Fellow Warriors standout Stephen Curry told Stein the reporting often "feels like people trying to plant seeds that aren't there" because of fatigue with the team's success. Curry doesn't think it's necessary to respond to every report as Golden State tries to win its seventh NBA title.

"Whatever happens next summer is going to happen—regardless of what anybody says right now," Curry said. "So my job—and I think the way we're all approaching this—is that this year is about this year. It's nothing for us to worry about right now, because it's all kind of wasted breath."

Whether Durant would actually re-sign with the Warriors because of the new arena is unclear, but it's probably not the wildest theory that will be floated over the next nine months.