Golden State Warriors Unlikely To Make Trade Move To Reunite With Kevin Durant

KEY POINTS

The Golden State Warriors reportedly won't make a move for Kevin Durant
Durant played for three seasons with the Warriors and won two championships
He recently made a request to be traded from Brooklyn Nets

The notion of Kevin Durant returning to the Golden State Warriors will definitely tilt the balance of power in favor of the newly-minted NBA champions.

Reacquiring Durant could be very tantalizing, but it appears the Warriors are not inclined to pull the trigger.

According to Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype, it is doubtful that Golden State will initiate a move to reunite with Durant even if they have the pieces to materialize a trade.

"The Warriors have several young assets on paper, including Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, James Wiseman and Moses Moody, but Golden State would be reluctant to give up all these assets in a Durant trade proposal," Scotto wrote.

Durant has requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets, a move that created quite a stir.

Basketball pundits see the Warriors as one of the few teams which could offer intriguing trade packages to land Durant, but the potential that their young assets bring may force them not to pitch an offer.

Poole is one of the young talents that made heads turn in Golden State's recent title run.

In 76 games last season, Poole was good for 18.5 points and 4.0 assists a game while leading the league in free-throw percentage.

In addition, Poole was one of the strong contenders for last season’s Most Improved Player Award but eventually lost to All-Star guard Ja Morant.

In the coming season, the Warriors would need more from Kuminga, Moody and Wiseman after role players Gary Payton II and Otto Porter Jr. exited in free agency.

Coming off an All-Star season, Andrew Wiggins could also become a vital piece should the Durant trade speculation gain ground.

However, a designated rookie rule may save Wiggins from a transaction involving Durant.

Scotto reported that under the rule, teams are allowed to have two players that received a five-year max extension on the roster, but only one player can be acquired via trade.

Since Brooklyn acquired Ben Simmons in a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, the Nets couldn't trade for Wiggins, who signed the rookie max extension with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2017.