ATL Boy wrote:MaceCase wrote:I'd have that same concern if he was 23 or 25 when his contract expired instead of 29 because most players close to hitting their 30s are looking for winning situations rather than to feed their ego.
Klay is on record responding "because I like winning" for why he didn't go elsewhere already and he also responded "I aint sacrificing ****" in response to taking a backseat to Durant. The Warriors won another ring and his counting stats remained virtually the same.
If he leaves it's predominantly because the dynasty crashed and he's looking for the next ready made contender because I sincerely doubt he wants his career winding down with him resembling Kevin Martin in Sacramento in more ways than one just to prove that he could be the man.
Most players who expire at 29 also don't have at least 2 (and probably 3-4) rings already won. Klay's also smart enough to see that while his stats remained in tact he was obviously playing third fiddle to Curry and Durant.
There's obviously no way to know exactly what he's thinking but knowing how competitive these athletes are I'd venture to guess that he wants to prove himself worthy of carrying a team by himself.
I also agree that he wouldn't want a Kevin Martin situation but I don't think the Hawks two seasons from now will be as driven in the ground as the Kings (who are the worst run organization in the NBA). We already have a nice young nucleus that will be added to in the form of two high lotto picks and whatever Free Agents we bring in with the use of our cap space.
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I think we have a pretty good insight into his thinking given his actions and words added to little precedent of players almost in their 30s deciding that that's the time for them to prove that they can be the man for the first time. You're talking about him being smart enough well...doesn't that also apply to him being realistic and intelligent enough to recognize his own ability and limitations? He's not addled with the invincibility of youth and I doubt his ego was ever at the point where he could see a player as great as Kevin Durant make sacrifices not once but twice and think he could do just as well by doing the opposite.
That and thinking the Hawks will be straddling the contender stratosphere after only two seasons into a rebuild is a tad optimistic. Going out and trying to acquire a 29 year old Klay would be just as impatient as when BK tried to jumpstart the franchise with Joe but even he was just 24, an age perfectly inline with all the youth that surrounded him but time will tell.
