Where does Durant play next year?

[TAFKASP]

So Bob Horry is a better player than Durant because he has 5 rings and Durant has none? How you get your ring matters to me. I'm old school and I loved how magic and bird fought each other every year for the title. They didn't ever wanna team up and form a superteam.

I hope Durant stays and doesn't go the way of Lebron and join the warriors.

Back to this stupid argument again. The amount of rings you have doesn't decide how good you are. Everyone knows that and nobody's arguing that. Whether you get your rings on a super team or an organically grown one doesn't matter one bit when history looks back on you. Lebron's ring in Cleveland is not going to hold more weight in his legacy than his 2 rings in Miami in the history books. It might to the people of Cleveland, but to the rest of the world it's just his 3rd title. Magic may have been drafted by the Lakers, but was Kareem? No. And Kareem is regarded as the better player quite often in history. Organic titles my ass. Does KG's legacy take a hit for joining Boston to win his title after years of trying in MN? Not one bit and in fact his legacy is greater today because he won a title in Boston and that's just like the big 3 in Miami, and it's just like it would be for KD in GS.

Kareem didn't chase a championship, the Lakers acquired him from Milwaukee. The Lakers weren't coming off finals appearances nor did they win a championship in the years prior.

No, because KG wasn't a free agent who chased a championship, he didn't even ask to be traded, and rumors suggest that he had to be convinced to go along with the trade.

James championship in Cleveland will no doubt add more to his legacy than another championship in Miami ever could have, or the first two for that matter. The Cavs weren't a ready made championship team, he didn't join a two time MVP. James brought a championship to Cleveland, they didn't hand one to James.

Not one example you gave is analogous to Durant joining the Warriors as a free agent.

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

So Bob Horry is a better player than Durant because he has 5 rings and Durant has none? How you get your ring matters to me. I'm old school and I loved how magic and bird fought each other every year for the title. They didn't ever wanna team up and form a superteam.

I hope Durant stays and doesn't go the way of Lebron and join the warriors.

Back to this stupid argument again. The amount of rings you have doesn't decide how good you are. Everyone knows that and nobody's arguing that. Whether you get your rings on a super team or an organically grown one doesn't matter one bit when history looks back on you. Lebron's ring in Cleveland is not going to hold more weight in his legacy than his 2 rings in Miami in the history books. It might to the people of Cleveland, but to the rest of the world it's just his 3rd title. Magic may have been drafted by the Lakers, but was Kareem? No. And Kareem is regarded as the better player quite often in history. Organic titles my ass. Does KG's legacy take a hit for joining Boston to win his title after years of trying in MN? Not one bit and in fact his legacy is greater today because he won a title in Boston and that's just like the big 3 in Miami, and it's just like it would be for KD in GS.

Kareem didn't chase a championship, the Lakers acquired him from Milwaukee. The Lakers weren't coming off finals appearances nor did they win a championship in the years prior.

No, because KG wasn't a free agent who chased a championship, he didn't even ask to be traded, and rumors suggest that he had to be convinced to go along with the trade.

James championship in Cleveland will no doubt add more to his legacy than another championship in Miami ever could have, or the first two for that matter. The Cavs weren't a ready made championship team, he didn't join a two time MVP. James brought a championship to Cleveland, they didn't hand one to James.

Not one example you gave is analogous to Durant joining the Warriors as a free agent.

It just doesn't matter. It might to a stubborn fan like you, but it just won't matter at the end of the day. If Aldridge wins a title in SA it won't matter. If Melo joined Lebron in Cleveland it won't matter. People know great players play well enough to earn titles without winning them so they don't care how they get them because they know they deserved them long before they ended up wining anyway. It's petty to hold it against Durant if he wins a title in GS when you know he's been good enough to deserve one in OKC and it just hasn't worked out.

Also, when you have a no trade clause like KG did there is zero difference between that and signing somewhere in free agency. You control your own destiny in either scenario. Also, Lebron joined a Heat team that won a title with Wade just a couple years prior and just added Bosh. It's not that different as you make it out to be.

[Coolbreeze44]

My Lord, I never considered San Antonio a contender. But if he were to go there you might as well plan the parade. He would help any team obviously. But the Spurs? Forget about it. Aldridge, Durant, Leonard, Parker. Are you kidding me?

[TAFKASP]

It just doesn't matter. It might to a stubborn fan like you, but it just won't matter at the end of the day. If Aldridge wins a title in SA it won't matter. If Melo joined Lebron in Cleveland it won't matter. People know great players play well enough to earn titles without winning them so they don't care how they get them because they know they deserved them long before they ended up wining anyway. It's petty to hold it against Durant if he wins a title in GS when you know he's been good enough to deserve one in OKC and it just hasn't worked out.

I wouldn't "hold it against" Durant if he signs with GS and wins a couple. What I'm saying is taking the more difficult path and trying to win one as the man will mean more, even if in the end he comes up empty. I doubt James would trade his one championship in Cleveland for any two elsewhere, some championships are simply worth more than others, and the rules by which you're judged is different for an all-star than it is for a super star.

Also, when you have a no trade clause like KG did there is zero difference between that and signing somewhere in free agency. You control your own destiny in either scenario. Also, Lebron joined a Heat team that won a title with Wade just a couple years prior and just added Bosh. It's not that different as you make it out to be.

Yet there is an immense difference between being a guy like KG who didn't want the trade, he wanted to win his in Minnesota, begrudgingly accepting a trade from a mismanaged team that had no real shot. It's completely, totally, 100% different than choosing to leave a team that just went seven games in the conference finals to join a team that was in the finals the previous two years and won one of them. Choose the easy path and he will be remembered as a champion, choose the difficult path of leading OKC to a championship and he'll be remembered as a legend! So yes, to Durant's legacy it matters.

Regarding James and the Heat, yes they won one a few years prior, but Wade was all that was left of value. The Heat were NOT going to win without James and Bosh where the Warriors will once again be odds on favorites to win with, or without Durant.

You really struggle to come up with truly analogous examples.

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

It just doesn't matter. It might to a stubborn fan like you, but it just won't matter at the end of the day. If Aldridge wins a title in SA it won't matter. If Melo joined Lebron in Cleveland it won't matter. People know great players play well enough to earn titles without winning them so they don't care how they get them because they know they deserved them long before they ended up wining anyway. It's petty to hold it against Durant if he wins a title in GS when you know he's been good enough to deserve one in OKC and it just hasn't worked out.

I wouldn't "hold it against" Durant if he signs with GS and wins a couple. What I'm saying is taking the more difficult path and trying to win one as the man will mean more, even if in the end he comes up empty. I doubt James would trade his one championship in Cleveland for any two elsewhere, some championships are simply worth more than others, and the rules by which you're judged is different for an all-star than it is for a super star.

Also, when you have a no trade clause like KG did there is zero difference between that and signing somewhere in free agency. You control your own destiny in either scenario. Also, Lebron joined a Heat team that won a title with Wade just a couple years prior and just added Bosh. It's not that different as you make it out to be.

Yet there is an immense difference between being a guy like KG who didn't want the trade, he wanted to win his in Minnesota, begrudgingly accepting a trade from a mismanaged team that had no real shot. It's completely, totally, 100% different than choosing to leave a team that just went seven games in the conference finals to join a team that was in the finals the previous two years and won one of them. Choose the easy path and he will be remembered as a champion, choose the difficult path of leading OKC to a championship and he'll be remembered as a legend! So yes, to Durant's legacy it matters.

Regarding James and the Heat, yes they won one a few years prior, but Wade was all that was left of value. The Heat were NOT going to win without James and Bosh where the Warriors will once again be odds on favorites to win with, or without Durant.

You really struggle to come up with truly analogous examples.

Because there aren't any that I can think of off the top of my head because most of the title chasers that were great players without titles failed. Nash, Malone and Payton are all I can think of because there's only been 9 teams playing for a title for the last decade. Maybe Kidd joining the Mavs in 08 after they were just in the finals in 06. All I can tell you is winning a title in your prime is more important to your legacy than never winning one and staying home. You can either be Karl Malone and Charles Barkley or Kevin Garnett.

[Monster]

The reality is that yes what will be remembered the most years from now is probably how many titles a player wins. However I don't think most athletes make decisions in that simple of a vacuum.

I think something that is being underestimated here is the sacrifice Durant would have to make to his game going to GS.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

I understand where you guys who value a "home grown" champion more than one who chases a championship, but I side with Khans on this one. In reality, home grown champions are incredibly rare and chasers have a lot of company. Curry may be described by many as a guy who didn't chase a championship, but I think that ignores the fact that he and his agent directed where he ended up, or at least where he didn't end up. There were certain teams that he didn't want to play for because he couldn't see them winning a championship in the foreseeable future (including our Wolves), so he just refused to work out for those teams. Is his eventual championship really any more noble than that of other players who went somewhere where they thought they had a better chance of winning?

[TAFKASP]

I understand where you guys who value a "home grown" champion more than one who chases a championship, but I side with Khans on this one. In reality, home grown champions are incredibly rare and chasers have a lot of company. Curry may be described by many as a guy who didn't chase a championship, but I think that ignores the fact that he and his agent directed where he ended up, or at least where he didn't end up. There were certain teams that he didn't want to play for because he couldn't see them winning a championship in the foreseeable future (including our Wolves), so he just refused to work out for those teams. Is his eventual championship really any more noble than that of other players who went somewhere where they thought they had a better chance of winning?

I cannot compare Curry doing his best to avoid the garbage that was the Timberwolves to a player of Durant's stature choosing to leave one of the three or four best teams in the league sign with a ready made championship team. Durant would be all but guaranteed a trip to the finals while being the odds on favorite to win it all. There was no guarantee that the Warriors would ever put together a championship team, and they would not have done so without Curry becoming the most dangerous player in the league.

I can never fault a player for not wanting to be stuck in the hell that was the Khan era Wolves, or the Clippers before them. If OKC had no real path to a championship I wouldn't say a word when he moved on. The reality is Durant was one game away from the finals this season and OKC has been a top four seed for a number of years now. Any superstar worth his salary, especially one with a sidekick as good as Westbrook, should believe they can win it with that team. If he doesn't believe that then maybe he truly is just a sidekick.

[Monster]

I understand where you guys who value a "home grown" champion more than one who chases a championship, but I side with Khans on this one. In reality, home grown champions are incredibly rare and chasers have a lot of company. Curry may be described by many as a guy who didn't chase a championship, but I think that ignores the fact that he and his agent directed where he ended up, or at least where he didn't end up. There were certain teams that he didn't want to play for because he couldn't see them winning a championship in the foreseeable future (including our Wolves), so he just refused to work out for those teams. Is his eventual championship really any more noble than that of other players who went somewhere where they thought they had a better chance of winning?

I cannot compare Curry doing his best to avoid the garbage that was the Timberwolves to a player of Durant's stature choosing to leave one of the three or four best teams in the league sign with a ready made championship team. Durant would be all but guaranteed a trip to the finals while being the odds on favorite to win it all. There was no guarantee that the Warriors would ever put together a championship team, and they would not have done so without Curry becoming the most dangerous player in the league.

I can never fault a player for not wanting to be stuck in the hell that was the Khan era Wolves, or the Clippers before them. If OKC had no real path to a championship I wouldn't say a word when he moved on. The reality is Durant was one game away from the finals this season and OKC has been a top four seed for a number of years now. Any superstar worth his salary, especially one with a sidekick as good as Westbrook, should believe they can win it with that team. If he doesn't believe that then maybe he truly is just a sidekick.

The ONLY reason Curry didn't end up as a Timberwolf was David Kahn didn't think he was gonna be more than a 6 man type. Curry not working out for the Wolves wasn't significant but Kahn running the team was. It's that simple.

[TRKO [enjin:12664595]]

I feel like he goes to Golden State. That being said, would a title feel as satisfying for him if he jumped ship to join an already great team? I feel like it wouldn't. I just don't feel like making a super team would make things feel as special.