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) /

2 of 5

(Ray Chavez/Digital First Media/The Mercury News via Getty Images) /

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.

Home/Warriors News