Dub Hub: Should the Warriors explore a reunion with Kevin Durant?

In today’s Dub Hub:

• NBC Sports Bay Area’ Monte Poole explains why a Kevin Durant-Warriors reunion isn’t so far fetched
• The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson lists possible trade targets for the Warriors this offseason
• The Atheltic’s Shams Charania, Jovan Buha, and Sam Amick detail what went wrong for the Los Angeles Lakers this season

The Golden State Warriors aren’t the only veteran team in need of big changes this offseason. The future of the Phoenix Suns’ roster came into question on Monday following their disappointing first round exit against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Suns’ big three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal fell miserably short of the team’s high expectations, and with a payroll already expected to exceed the vaunted second-apron, they might be forced into making drastic changes to their roster.

The most popular among these rumored changes is trading one member of their big three in order to surround the remaining two stars with higher quality depth. Durant, who has two years and over $100 million remaining on his contract, is no stranger to blockbuster transactions as NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole explains the possibility of a potential reunion between the 14-time All-Star and his former Warriors’ teammates.

For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Tuesday, April 30th:

Warriors News:

Why a KD-Warriors reunion isn’t far-fetched after Suns’ playoff exit | NBC Sports Bay Area

Any moves the Warriors make this summer will be out of extreme urgency to maximize the Curry window. In short, adding a plug-and-play star.

Durant and Curry will reunite in July as members of Team USA. Kerr is the head coach. Assuming no movement in the interim, they will have almost six weeks to engage in conversation and reminiscence.

Lacob, already committed to retiring Durant’s number, might be willing to personally lay the red carpet for KD’s return.

A KD-Warriors reunion is not as far-fetched as it might seem. It’s more conceivable than consummating a deal with LeBron James, something the Warriors pondered in February.

LeBron playoff exit ends amazing streak that also involves Steph, KD | NBC Sports Bay Area

Following the Los Angeles Lakers’ 108-106 loss to the Denver Nuggets and subsequent first-round elimination from the NBA playoffs on Monday night at Ball Arena, an unbelievable streak involving LeBron James, Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant and Warriors star Steph Curry came to an end.

For the first time since 2005, the postseason’s second round won’t feature James, Durant or Curry — three of the greatest ever to play the game (h/t Statmuse).

What can the Warriors do to improve? Here are eight possible trade targets | The Athletic

Brandon Ingram. He’ll be 27 this year, and he’s had a rough postseason. He’s super talented, a 6-foot-8 forward who can create his own shot. Not a great 3-point shooter and mostly lives in the midrange. But a good playmaker who can handle the ball and pass. The Warriors would have to believe he’s got a lot of untapped potential they can harvest, which is not unreasonable.

How to get him: The Pelicans would have to want to move on — which seems possible the way Ingram has looked in the first round against Oklahoma City. He’s got a year left worth $36 million, and then he’ll want a big contract.

Draymond Green explains why Timberwolves’ center Rudy Gobert is ‘impacting winning’ now

Draymond Green trolls Jusuf Nurkic following the Suns getting swept by the Timberwolves

NBA News:

Inside a Lakers season gone wrong and what’s next for LeBron James, Darvin Ham | The Athletic

The Lakers’ unflattering finish leaves Ham’s future as head coach in serious peril, multiple league and team sources tell The Athletic, with some stakeholders indicating it’s highly unlikely he’ll return. The plan is to reassess everything that went wrong in the coming days before making a final decision. In 2022, Ham signed a four-year deal in the range of $5 million per season, so the team would be assuming the remainder of his deal if he is fired.

Oklahoma City Thunder secure sweep over New Orleans Pelicans | ESPN

The Thunder became the youngest team in NBA history to capture a playoff series, and they did it in convincing fashion as the top seed in the Western Conference.

Daigneault said there’s a difference between a young team and a mature team and that his Thunder are a mature group.

“We have a committed team,” Daigneault said. “I think a lot of times the age of the team, you can make assumptions about the stage that the players are in their careers. But I’ve said all along, we have an uncommon group of people and players, and I think that’s a huge reason why we’re able to accomplish some of these things. They deserve all the credit.”

Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch to undergo surgery for torn right Patellar tendon

In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:

A changing of the guard

In all likelihood, the old veterans will be dealing with a two-year title hiatus when the next NBA season gets underway in October. Is there another push? Can Curry and the Warriors access the championship bones that they showed glimpses of this year, and take home a third shocking title? Will Durant flee to the next attempted superteam and finally find the success that has eluded him ever since he left Golden State? It’s hard to believe he’s only won two total playoff series since he was on the Warriors. And can James add one final moment of achieving the impossible, in a career and lifetime defined by them?

It sure feels like there’s a changing of the guard. Perhaps not even in present tense, but in past tense: there was a changing of the guard.

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