Golden State Warriors: Risk vs reward of bringing back Kevin Durant

TORONTO, ONTARIO - JUNE 10: Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after sustaining an injury during the second quarter against the Toronto Raptors during Game Five of the 2019 NBA Finals at Scotiabank Arena on June 10, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images) /

After a career-changing Achilles injury, Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors may continue their partnership well into the future.

The Golden State Warriors may retain Kevin Durant if he opts into his contract. That said, with every signing, especially with someone coming off an injury, there’s both risk and reward that must be looked at.

For the Dubs, there’s not much leverage.

They gave Durant the two-year contract with a player option for him to leave after this season. However, unless a team wants to break the bank on his return following next season, there’s no point in team’s giving Durant a max contract.

There have been multiple reports that teams are still interested in Durant long-term, but what type of contract are they willing to offer him? If he lands in New York, he might as well not even come back till the 2020-2021 season. He’d be 32 at that point.

But, if he signs with a contender or re-signs with Golden State, Durant may be able to find his way back extremely late in the season or potentially early in the postseason. Durant will have a handful of suitors that might give him a coveted four-year max.

While re-signing with Dubs may be a “last resort” for Durant, it’s still an path that he’d reap benefits from taking. That said, let’s look at the Warriors angle and the risk vs reward that would come into play if Durant opts into his contract.

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