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Kevin Durant on Rumors of Warriors Exit in Free Agency: 'Just Watch the Game'
April 15, 2019
Kevin Durant has been inundated with free-agency questions for the entire 2018-19 season, and the Golden State Warriors superstar isn't interested in having that conversation during the NBA postseason.
"Yo, just watch the game. Just focus on the game and stop nitpicking, because it is a beautiful game going on out there," Durant told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. "What can I do right now? I can't sign a paper. I got to do the most important thing, and that is play. And that is what we should be focusing on."
Durant also told Spears he hasn't made a decision about his future and won't do so until after the season.
For the time being, Durant is more interested in the actual games:
"Let's appreciate what is going on, on the basketball court. I know it's the sexy part of the NBA: free agency, trades, transactions. But it's a beautiful game that we're out here playing. I feel like I play a different and unique way that may inspire some people.
"You never know where you can get [inspiration] from. It's always been my fight with people to focus on the basketball. That other stuff will take care of itself when time comes."
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It can't be easy to receive endless questions for over a year about the same topic, especially if you've said repeatedly you won't address that topic until the offseason. It's easy to sympathize with Durant in that regard.
But there's also no question that the decision he makes this summer will completely alter the power structure of the NBA. If he remains with the Warriors, they'll remain the favorites to win the NBA title for the foreseeable future (and assuming they also re-sign Klay Thompson, would likely have to move on from Draymond Green, both for financial and potentially chemistry reasons).
If Durant leaves, meanwhile, the Warriors will still be dangerous, but they won't be the prohibitive favorites. The league will potentially be wide open again, depending on where free agents like Durant, Thompson, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, Kemba Walker and Tobias Harris sign and where Anthony Davis gets traded.
Imagine the possibilities.
Durant and Irving sign with the New York Knicks and Davis joins them in a trade. Both Leonard and Davis end up with the Los Angeles Clippers. Irving reunites with LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers. Durant and another major free agent join the young, fun Brooklyn Nets. Davis gets traded to the Celtics and Irving re-signs. Durant does something completely unexpected, like signing with the Philadelphia 76ers to join Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.
It's fun to go over all the wild possible scenarios this summer. But until the season actually ends, Durant would prefer to just talk about basketball.