Sure sounds like KD is leaving

[OptionZero]

I think you guys are missing the key here. He’s got that weird overly tall kid awkward sensitivity thing that we often see with big men. He’s an introvert and he’s lonely. What he seems to really want is to play and work with guys who are his friends. Russ was not his friend. Curry and Klay already have their own bond and he is apparently on the outside of it, certainly attributable to his own awkward weirdness and not necessarily due to them
excluding him but he has been an outsider here nonetheless. Draymond has exacerbated the distance. If he leaves it’s going to be over this friendship issue. He will go somewhere where he and friend(s) can build their own click. Winning, money, legacy, primacy really won’t have anything to do with it. He’s just a guy who hasn’t made enough adult friends and is pining for it. Weird, not my jam, but it is what it is

I think this goes to the heart of it: KD isn't having fun playing with folks that aren't his (in his mind) friends. He feels like Kyrie would be a fun friend, so thats where this is coming from. I also think he has an admiration for Kyrie's game, the isolation scorer with fancy moves. He probably respects Klay/Steph's skill - but what he likes is what he likes. Kyrie

Steph and Klay might not even be FRIENDS - they have their own circles. But they have so many years together, they're soemthing above mere co-workers.

Dray probably was KD's friend, but that friendship is damaged.

Everyone else, the role players, even if he considers them friends (like Quin Cook), aren't significant enough to stay for

You can't really change a dude's mind when it comes to this stuff. GSW offers the best basketball environment and business opportunity, plus the most money. They literally can't do anything more to convince him, but KD's mind is his own mind.

We all defended KD's decision to leave OKC as a player being able to whatever he wanted in FA, so i'm in the same place. If he wants to play with Kyrie for James Dolan, its not what i would do, and i dont think its the best idea basketball wise, but . . .oh well

[Sleepy51]

I think you guys are missing the key here. He’s got that weird overly tall kid awkward sensitivity thing that we often see with big men. He’s an introvert and he’s lonely. What he seems to really want is to play and work with guys who are his friends. Russ was not his friend. Curry and Klay already have their own bond and he is apparently on the outside of it, certainly attributable to his own awkward weirdness and not necessarily due to them
excluding him but he has been an outsider here nonetheless. Draymond has exacerbated the distance. If he leaves it’s going to be over this friendship issue. He will go somewhere where he and friend(s) can build their own click. Winning, money, legacy, primacy really won’t have anything to do with it. He’s just a guy who hasn’t made enough adult friends and is pining for it. Weird, not my jam, but it is what it is

I think this goes to the heart of it: KD isn't having fun playing with folks that aren't his (in his mind) friends. He feels like Kyrie would be a fun friend, so thats where this is coming from. I also think he has an admiration for Kyrie's game, the isolation scorer with fancy moves. He probably respects Klay/Steph's skill - but what he likes is what he likes. Kyrie

Steph and Klay might not even be FRIENDS - they have their own circles. But they have so many years together, they're something above mere co-workers.

During All Star weekend he actually gave an extensive (and largely unsolicited) praise for the bond and friendship that Klay and Steph have. He was asked about those two competing in the AS Game and he went beyond that answer to literally GUSH about how they have fun competing and a bond and partnership far beyond what most teammates share. He talked about them trash talking each other in practice and the fun they have pushing and cheering for each other. You could hear clear admiration and longing in his answer. It was like a 5 minute answer to what the reporter thought was a throwaway question, but it told oodles about him. He really does seem to be the archetypical awkward tall kid turned introverted and a little lonely 20-something. We assume that being tall is awesome as hoops fans, but most freakishly tall people absolutely hated it growing up and many remain self conscious about their physical appearance. He is manifestly self-conscious, current social media habits aside, remember he was super sensitive about even his nicknames. He explicitly told people not to call him Durantula or Slim Reaper (would have been the best nickname ever.) It would make sense that he's looking for true friendship on the court as the support to ease the anxiety of being an introvert in an extroverted world/profession.

[Money_]

I think you guys are missing the key here. He’s got that weird overly tall kid awkward sensitivity thing that we often see with big men. He’s an introvert and he’s lonely. What he seems to really want is to play and work with guys who are his friends. Russ was not his friend. Curry and Klay already have their own bond and he is apparently on the outside of it, certainly attributable to his own awkward weirdness and not necessarily due to them
excluding him but he has been an outsider here nonetheless. Draymond has exacerbated the distance. If he leaves it’s going to be over this friendship issue. He will go somewhere where he and friend(s) can build their own click. Winning, money, legacy, primacy really won’t have anything to do with it. He’s just a guy who hasn’t made enough adult friends and is pining for it. Weird, not my jam, but it is what it is

I don't disagree that this could be a factor... even a major factor.

However, SF is a city of outcasts and unicorns. If he can't find his jam here...
Seriously though, overall people are genuinely accepting of all folks here and its not that hard to find people with similar interests... he is kind of busy at the moment though..

[Money_]

haven't watched it yet, but this popped up on my sidebar

Watch on YouTube

I think this take is kind of exaggerated and click bait material. not you, the video.

I like the "coach's" analysis usually so I'm going to watch it again...

I think the Warriors offense looked way more cohesive and fine tuned with KD out of the lineup.
Better? I would not say better. Dubs are obviously better with KD on board.
But depending on certain match ups and what time of year we are talking about, they can sure look more "well oiled"
Deep in the playoffs, when the game grinds to a halt. Steph and Klay are getting held and bumped on every possession and cannot get a good shot off, that's when they desperately need KD. He can get his shot off anytime he wants over anyone he wants...

[xdrta+]

Better without him? Maybe so, but if they want another championship they better hope they can sign Durant.

[KevinMcreynolds]

haven't watched it yet, but this popped up on my sidebar

Watch on YouTube

I think this take is kind of exaggerated and click bait material. not you, the video.

I like the "coach's" analysis usually so I'm going to watch it again...

I think the Warriors offense looked way more cohesive and fine tuned with KD out of the lineup.
Better? I would not say better. Dubs are obviously better with KD on board.
But depending on certain match ups and what time of year we are talking about, they can sure look more "well oiled"
Deep in the playoffs, when the game grinds to a halt. Steph and Klay are getting held and bumped on every possession and cannot get a good shot off, that's when they desperately need KD. He can get his shot off anytime he wants over anyone he wants...

[wco81]

I think you guys are missing the key here. He’s got that weird overly tall kid awkward sensitivity thing that we often see with big men. He’s an introvert and he’s lonely. What he seems to really want is to play and work with guys who are his friends. Russ was not his friend. Curry and Klay already have their own bond and he is apparently on the outside of it, certainly attributable to his own awkward weirdness and not necessarily due to them
excluding him but he has been an outsider here nonetheless. Draymond has exacerbated the distance. If he leaves it’s going to be over this friendship issue. He will go somewhere where he and friend(s) can build their own click. Winning, money, legacy, primacy really won’t have anything to do with it. He’s just a guy who hasn’t made enough adult friends and is pining for it. Weird, not my jam, but it is what it is

He has his own entourage though.

I get the sense that he nev bought into the strength in numbers thing, maybe figured it was corny.

His closest tie was probably Dray who recruited him.

It would not surprise me one bit if he was put off by the parade awkwardness.

Defninitly his passivity and deferring to others lately is a huge contrast from demanding the ball, loudly clapping for it, which led to that falling out with Dray.

[superunknown]

Better? I would not say better. Dubs are obviously better with KD on board.
But depending on certain match ups and what time of year we are talking about, they can sure look more "well oiled"
Deep in the playoffs, when the game grinds to a halt. Steph and Klay are getting held and bumped on every possession and cannot get a good shot off, that's when they desperately need KD. He can get his shot off anytime he wants over anyone he wants...

[Little Digger]

Durant’s signing with clippers..Done deal according to my outside source

[HiRez]

Whether he goes or not I just hope he makes it clear ASAP when the season ends and doesn’t drag it out for months. Give our FO the best chance to make the best of it.

[Sleepy51]

Durant’s signing with clippers..Done deal according to my outside source

They must be firing Jerry West then right?

[wco81]

Actually his decision is a huge deal to all of free agency.

Teams will make decisions on which FAs to pursue based on which way he goes.

The draft is June 20th and the moratorium on free agency is July 1 to 6. NBA teams can formally sign FAs on July 6. So in those 5 days, FAs will be talking to teams, if not sooner.

I guess he can notify the Warriors before then. Whenever their season ends, you know the first question they ask him will be whether he's opting out and leaving or staying.

I guess if he wants to leave, he'll probably let the teams he's interested in joining that he will be leaving.

Will he do a bunch of meetings with teams again to pitch to him? If he says he's going to take pitches, he's good as gone, even if he includes the Warriors among the teams he takes pitches from.

I don't think the other members of the Hamptons Five are in any mood to grovel to him again.

[xdrta+]

Actually his decision is a huge deal to all of free agency.

Teams will make decisions on which FAs to pursue based on which way he goes.

The draft is June 20th and the moratorium on free agency is July 1 to 6. NBA teams can formally sign FAs on July 6. So in those 5 days, FAs will be talking to teams, if not sooner.

I guess he can notify the Warriors before then. Whenever their season ends, you know the first question they ask him will be whether he's opting out and leaving or staying.

I guess if he wants to leave, he'll probably let the teams he's interested in joining that he will be leaving.

Will he do a bunch of meetings with teams again to pitch to him? If he says he's going to take pitches, he's good as gone, even if he includes the Warriors among the teams he takes pitches from.

I don't think the other members of the Hamptons Five are in any mood to grovel to him again.

He has said that he doesn't need the Warriors to make a pitch to him, he knows all he needs to know about the organization. As far as other teams go, it's a mystery.

[OptionZero]

GSW has his full bird rights, so their max offer is known

They also don't have any cap space to sign anyone else, so there's no need to consult each other about who to target

All they'll have is the tax MLE and minimums, so he knows the drill

The "meeting" between GSW and KD has been the whole damn time he's been here, there ain't nothin left to say

[wco81]

Well he did give a meeting to OKC.

I think that was the first sign he was leaving.

Maybe he likes the drama of it, all these teams sending players and other people across the country to get an audience with him.


There was a report that when he won the first title and FMVP, he was disappointed that he wasn't anointed the best player in the NBA over Lebron -- though some people put him up there.

So if he really cares about such things, he may want those pitch meetings so teams can suck up to him, tell him how great he is.

In the preseason, someone asked him if he thinks he could be DPOY and he said that "they're not going to give me any kind of credit" for these individual honors, meaning the NBA media or whoever votes on these awards.

Seemed a bit bitter that he was being boycotted because he supposedly ruined the NBA and made it uncompetitive.

When the Warriors pitched to him, Curry told KD that he didn't care about who got the individual awards, that he'd easily cheer for him if KD won and would be right at the presentation.

Maybe he thinks he wants to try to tally up some more MVPs before he's through, even if it means not winning titles again. Maybe he envies someone like Harden, who's more likely to win more MVPs than titles.

[Sleepy51]

Actually his decision is a huge deal to all of free agency.

Teams will make decisions on which FAs to pursue based on which way he goes.

The draft is June 20th and the moratorium on free agency is July 1 to 6. NBA teams can formally sign FAs on July 6. So in those 5 days, FAs will be talking to teams, if not sooner.

I guess he can notify the Warriors before then. Whenever their season ends, you know the first question they ask him will be whether he's opting out and leaving or staying.

I guess if he wants to leave, he'll probably let the teams he's interested in joining that he will be leaving.

Will he do a bunch of meetings with teams again to pitch to him? If he says he's going to take pitches, he's good as gone, even if he includes the Warriors among the teams he takes pitches from.

I don't think the other members of the Hamptons Five are in any mood to grovel to him again.

He has said that he doesn't need the Warriors to make a pitch to him, he knows all he needs to know about the organization. As far as other teams go, it's a mystery.

I suspect he will wait to see if Boogie wants to do a health contract year here and then if we are willing to take to cast off Draymond based on Boogie taking his role as the facilitating big. Moving Dray out is probably the only thing that would keep KD here and I can't imagine we would move Draymond unless we are getting a second year with Boogie ... even if Kerr is sick of his . If Boogie wants to do his healthy contract push here then we have a choice between keeping KD and Keeping Dray.

It sucks these two are such asshats. The second half of this season has been like watching Goodfellas after Jimmy starts whacking everybody who was in on the Lufthansa Job. Everytime we are playing like crap I hear Layla playing in my head.

[likashing]

Moving Dray out is probably the only thing that would keep KD here

Draymond vs KD is kind of overrated I believe. However, if that is what KD wants and he is willing to sign a 5-year contract, I will happily ship Draymond so he can unite with LeBron Inc for Kuzma/Hart/Ingram.

[Sleepy51]

Moving Dray out is probably the only thing that would keep KD here

Draymond vs KD is kind of overrated I believe. However, if that is what KD wants and he is willing to sign a 5-year contract, I will happily ship Draymond so he can unite with LeBron Inc for Kuzma/Hart/Ingram.

Deleted in light of events

[SinceGatlingWasARookie]

What you all see on KD's face at games? I trust that more than I trust media rumors.

KD on championship Knicks team might pay KD a fortune in marketing. Too bad for Walt Frazier that the marketting money wasn't flowing in his era because his championships had him adored by New Yorkers for decades. But Walt Frazier had charisma and style that KD doesn't have.

How long Can Kyrie and KD play together before their friendship ends? Maybe Kyrie and KD are mature, stable easy to get along with nice people and the haters simply trash them.

KD interacting with hater trolls on social media seems odd to me.

Do we really know anything?

I think I will just wait for summer unless I get bored in which case I may wildly speculate about KD.

[wco81]

He was way more engaged and mentally connected to the rest of the team in the Pacers game at Oakland.

He blocked shots and was generally more active on defense, comparable to his first season with he Warriors.

On the other end, he was looking for his shot more especially the first half in contrast to the Wolves game where he looked to pass it off and go stand in a corner in a lot of possessions.

One play in the second half, he penetrated and kicked it to Klay in the corner and went in for the offensive rebound — Klay made it. But all too often in recent games, he’d make the pass and backpedal to the opposite basket.

It’s too bad his adopted brother was killed. Maybe he wanted to bury himself in the game tonight to not think about the loss.