NBA free agency doesn’t start until July 1st, but everyone is already weighing in on what Kevin Durant should do this summer.
From the experience of playing with LeBron James, NBA champion Richard Jefferson knows secondhand what Durant will be faced with this offseason.
“I think KD is one of those people that he’s going to do what he wants and feels best, very similar to LeBron going to Miami or going back to Cleveland,” Jefferson told FanSided’s Mark Carman during the ‘On the Mark’ podcast. “No one saw these things coming. I think Kevin Durant is going to do the exact same thing, if he wants to stay that’s because that’s what’s best for him and that’s what he wants to do. If he goes to another team that’s because that’s what he wants to do.”
Since the beginning of this season the major storyline surrounding the Golden State Warriors hasn’t been about their potential three-peat if they win another championship this June, it’s about the upcoming free agency class where Durant and Klay Thompson hit the market. For that reason it’s become a huge topic of conversation in NBA circles because this could be the last time we see this iteration of the Warriors.
While Thompson is expected to re-sign, Durant isn’t as easy to figure out. Most rumors and sources say the front runner for nabbing Durant away from Golden State is the New York Knicks. The allure of Madison Square Garden and the possibility of teaming up with close friend Kyrie Irving to make a run through the Eastern Conference appears to be an appealing idea to the two-time Finals MVP.
For Jefferson, he sees Durant’s career arch mirroring James’ move back to Cleveland from Miami.
“For [Durant] if he’s wondering about public perception or wants to be viewed as the best player in our league I think it’s harder for him to do that in Golden State than it would be for him to do that some place else,” Jefferson, who is executive producing a new movie called Sprinter, said. “That’s the assessment I saw with LeBron James when he was able to win a championship for Cleveland. Once he was able to do that in a different space he was no longer the villain once he was able to win in Cleveland, he became the hero.”
Although Durant consistently denies caring about the public perception of him, if he left Golden State, NBA fans would undoubtedly rejoice knowing that the Warriors are a little easier to beat.