Are the Golden State Warriors headed towards renewing reunion conversation?

The Golden State Warriors have seldom been willing to make a big mid-season trade in recent times, largely thanks to the success and stability the franchise has enjoyed over the last decade.

Any major move usually emanates from on and off-court struggles, and in an unfamiliar phase, the Warriors have gone through both in recent weeks. Draymond Green’s ugly punch during training camp reverberated across the world, with Golden State now sitting at 3-7 through ten games.

Still, the Warriors’ struggles seem insignificant in comparison to that of the Brooklyn Nets. They may have got themselves to a 4-6 record on the floor, but they’ve already parted ways with head coach Steve Nash, have suspended Kyrie Irving for at least five games, and Ben Simmons is reportedly already a source of frustration.

The respective starts for the Golden State Warriors and Brooklyn Nets could lead to the reopening of conversations around a Kevin Durant trade.

Durant made headlines during the offseason when he requested a trade despite having four years left on his contract. After it became obvious Brooklyn had no interest in dealing their superstar player, the two-time Finals MVP reneged on the request to move forward with the franchise.

An open and candid Stephen Curry told Rolling Stone that, at the time, there was certainly interest in bringing Durant back to the Warriors. Golden State were widely recognized as one of the few teams who could offer the necessary value to acquire him.

"“There was a conversation internally amongst us about ‘If he was available, would you?’ Every team has those conversations, and obviously in our situation, they’re gonna call me and ask me, ‘How do you feel about it?”"

Curry and Durant, along with fellow All-Stars in Green and Klay Thompson, formed an irresistible combination over the course of three years. They won two championships together and likely would have won a third if not for devastating injuries to Durant and Thompson in the 2019 Finals.

The Warriors’ form could head them towards reopening the idea of a Durant reunion. Their struggles have largely revolved around their young bench, with the experienced starting lineup a +24.1 in net rating across 109 minutes together this season.

Most considered Durant’s trade request removal to be a short-term arrangement, and the prospect of him being traded remains a plausible one for the moment. The 34-year-old is still playing at MVP-level form, but his wishes for the future may be determined by Irving, Simmons and the way Brooklyn perform as the season progresses.

In terms of a deal, Golden State would have to give up one of their starters, either Green, Thompson or Andrew Wiggins, along with almost all their young and future assets. It’s not an immediate, soon-to-be-had conversation, but it’s worth monitoring the respective fortunes of each team as we go along.