Rumors about Kevin Durant having legitimate interest in joining the Warriors in free agency only grew as the 2015-16 season progressed. It was a farfetched fantasy to some at the time, but not completely unrealistic. The Warriors would need to make some financial room for Durant for that to happen.
Golden State practically gutted out their complimentary pieces, which included center Andrew Bogut, who told ESPN’s Tim McMahon that he believes the Warriors knew they’d get Durant before the summer:
Last year in Golden State was an amazing season for a lot of reasons. Here you guys are setting an NBA record, trying to chase a championship, and you’re dealing with Kevin Durant rumors the entire season. You’re smart enough to know exactly what that means. What was that experience like for you?
A.B.: That’s part of the business. I think the deal was done long before the summer. I think it was done — obviously, K.D. didn’t make his concrete decision, but I think our organization knew for a while what was going to happen. That’s just a part of it. Andre [Iguodala] and I knew it was one of us that was going to go, and it was me. That’s part of the business. I have no gripes about it. You get a Hall of Famer — he’s going to be a Hall of Famer — in K.D. If I’m the GM, I do the same deal. That’s just the reality of the business.
Bogut doesn’t come off at all hasty about the situation. He used the word “business” three times in that answer, and in this business, any feasible chance at forming a super team has to be pursued.
Since we can now verify those early rumors about Durant’s in joining Golden State, Bogut’s claim that the organization knew what was going to happen more so means they had tangible hope that they could reel in one of the league’s top players. Of course, had circumstances been different in the NBA Finals, Durant might still be in Oklahoma City, or elsewhere. It goes without saying that things seemed to work in Golden State’s favor in the end.
