Does Kevin Durant Doubt Warriors Management After 'Catastrophic' Injury?

Kevin Durant was expected to be the most sought-after player this free agency when he opted out of the final year of his contract with Golden State Warriors. But the small forward is now facing the prospect of missing the entire 2019-20 season after suffering a “catastrophic” Achilles injury during Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals against Toronto Raptors.

The Warriors forward returned for Game 5 after a month on the sidelines with a calf injury he suffered in the Western Conference semifinals against Houston Rockets. But Durant lasted just 12 minutes as he went down while running an offensive play and failed to return for the rest of the game.

Initially, it was thought to be a relapse of the calf injury, but an MRI revealed a ruptured Achilles, which is likely to keep the forward out for close to a year, compromising his position in the upcoming free agency market.

However, NBA expert Ric Bucher has now raised questions about Durant doubting the Warriors management about being misled with regards to the prospect of suffering a catastrophic setback by rushing his return. It was clear that he was rushed back, with the reigning champions trailing 3-1 in the Finals, but Steve Kerr admitted that the medical staff was certain there was no risk of Durant suffering a new injury.

“What I’ve heard, through various places, is that he’s not really happy with how things went down because of the injury,” Bucher explained during his appearance on 95.7 The Game. “There’s an element of, ‘Was I misled as far as injuring myself coming back and playing and having a catastrophic injury like this coming off a calf strain.’”

“We don’t know, definitively, exactly what was said, how much was said, how much he was aware of that, but I can tell you that people in the KD camp, people are running for cover because they don’t want to be holding the bag on who led him astray.”

It is now unclear if Durant will opt out of the final year of his deal or remain with the Warriors for one more season before entering free agency next year. The likes of the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets, who were leading the chase, are still said to be interested in offering him a max contract.

Another option that has been speculated recently is that he could re-sign with the Warriors on a max deal and then accept a trade once he completes his rehabilitation. It could be a deal that benefits both the player and the franchise in the long run.