Risk – He’s never the same
An Achilles injury is not something that you want to mess with. Players like DeMarcus Cousins and Kobe Bryant both went down with ruptured Achilles within the last decade; they didn’t come back the same player.
The lack of athleticism from Cousins is noticeable. He’s not the same player that was averaging over 26 points per game in previous seasons. Although he came back to a superteam, Cousins neared a career low in points per game this season.
While Kobe’s injury was later in his career, it also took a toll on him physically. That said, two superstars have both been unable to get back to their peak performance, so why should be expect that from Durant?
Durant may still be a max-contract player. He’s an elite shooter and has the height to still bully smaller defenders. But, there’s a risk that he’s not. There’s also a risk that he doesn’t play next season at all and takes up over $30 million in cap space for zero production.
However, for Golden State, there’d be a more immediate risk.