Kevin Durant’s exodus paved the way for Golden State Warriors future

While it was tough to see him leave for Brooklyn, Kevin Durant’s departure has set the Golden State Warriors up for long-time success.

The Golden State Warriors have been the NBA’s most successful team over the last half a decade. At least for those three years they were helped by Kevin Durant, a four-time scoring champion and former MVP who joined the team after the 2015-2016 season.

Durant caught a ton of flak for his decision, landing on a team that was coming off a 73-win season didn’t seem fair to most fans. And, for two and what should’ve been three seasons, it wasn’t.

Three seasons and two titles later, Durant departed, leaving for the Brooklyn Nets this past offseason. It wasn’t a crushing blow for Golden State, but it was one that took them down from a clear tier above the field.

What it also did was set them up for long-term success. For Durant, the Warriors returned D’Angelo Russell in a sign and trade. However, they also had to give up their first-round pick which was returned to the team as it was top-20 protected.

The Warriors then dealt Russell, the player they traded Durant for. They brought in a 2021 first-round pick and Andrew Wiggins as the crux of that deal, a pair that will help elevate the team for a while to come.

It also helps that Wiggins is far younger than Durant so he should be around well into the future and is a capable sidekick to Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry.

Wiggins, Draymond Green, Curry and Thompson along with Eric Paschall and their 2020 first-round draft pick should compose the bulk of a team ready to take the league by storm. At the very least with that core, they’ll be among the four teams with home advantage in the playoffs.

While the team would’ve still been elite with Durant, they’re now set up better in the future with additional draft capital and Wiggins. That wasn’t the initial plan, but it was one that worked for Golden State.

Losing Durant, even months later, still stings, but knowing that is may be for the best helps weaken the blow.