After going down with what was ultimately diagnosed as a torn right Achilles in Game 5 of this year’s NBA Finals, the expectation is that Kevin Durant will be missing the entire 2019-20 season. It is believed that this injury will play a role in the Warriors superstar’s decision in free agency this summer, as the likes of NBC Sports Bay Area have recently hinted. But while the chances of Durant opting into the final year of his contract have increased, a new report suggests that the 10-time All-Star is unhappy with the Warriors, and possibly on his way out of Golden State.
In an article published on Monday, Bleacher Report ‘s Ric Bucher wrote that there are still questions whether the strained right calf that kept Durant out for a month in this year’s NBA playoffs led to the Achilles tear he suffered in Game 5 of the Warriors’ championship series against the Toronto Raptors, which they lost in six games. With that in mind, Bucher cited multiple unnamed league sources, who allege that Durant is “not happy” with the Warriors, presumably because of “whatever role Warriors officials played” in clearing him to suit up for Game 5.
As Warriors coach Steve Kerr was reportedly informed by team officials that Durant didn’t face the risk of re-injuring himself by playing, Bucher added that this could “give credence” to what an anonymous NBA executive supposedly told him.
“[Durant is] really pissed off at the Warriors,” the executive was quoted as saying.
While the Brooklyn Nets have recently emerged as the frontrunner to acquire Kevin Durant in this year’s free agency season, as noted in a separate piece from Bleacher Report , Bucher looked back on how the New York Knicks were the most likely team to land the superstar forward for most of the 2018-19 season. Bucher pointed out that Durant “already has multiple ties” to the Knicks, and has already “moved his belongings” to the home he had recently purchased in New York.
Kyrie Irving reportedly is “pressing” Kevin Durant to join the Nets while also trying to bring in a third former All-Star: https://t.co/ARYCAuWB00 pic.twitter.com/yIzauReyMK
— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) June 24, 2019
Meanwhile, the Nets were also mentioned by Bucher, who wrote that per league sources, Boston Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving bought a new home in South Orange, New Jersey, and is “pressing” Durant to join him in Brooklyn. The Bleacher Report writer added that Irving is also trying to recruit Knicks center DeAndre Jordan — a “confidant” of Durant’s — to the Nets as a third major free agent signing this summer.
As for the Los Angeles Clippers, who have also been brought up frequently as a top candidate to land Durant, Bucher wrote that the team, along with the Philadelphia 76ers, have “backed off their pursuit” of the 30-year-old forward, as both organizations are working on “building off” their recent postseason success.
Amid all the rumors and speculation regarding his plans in the 2019 offseason, Kevin Durant has remained as cagey as ever, as he has yet to comment on how he feels about the Warriors in the aftermath of his Achilles injury, per NBC Sports Bay Area . It still stands to reason, however, that Durant will still be one of the most talked-about players once the NBA’s free agency period officially kicks off on Sunday night.
