National Basketball Association

Warriors reportedly believe their Finals loss to the Cavs will help them sign Kevin Durant

Published Jun. 24, 2016 11:51 p.m. ET

Andrew Lynch

There are quite a few reasons Kevin Durant might choose to sign with the Golden State Warriors this offseason. He just watched the Dubs knock off his Oklahoma City Thunder in the postseason, so he knows firsthand how good they are. The Thunder traded Serge Ibaka on Thursday, which might or might not sit well with Durant. Or maybe he just really likes the Bay Area and its connections to the technology industry.

But forget all that. Apparently, Golden State's collapse against the Cleveland Cavaliers in this year's Finals might be the thing that puts the Warriors over the top in the KD sweepstakes.

Wait, what?

Via ESPN.com:

You're not mistaken. That makes zero sense in a rational world. But here's my best attempt at deciphering it:

If the Warriors were two-time champions, jumping ship from OKC to Golden State would make KD the ultimate front-runner. He watched LeBron James get pilloried for the Decision. A lot of that animus comes from the way James announced he was switching teams, true. But there was also a significant backlash against LeBron forming a superteam in Miami. Durant would be following in LeBron's footsteps if he signed on as a mercenary for a potential threepeat with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, particularly in the summer after they ran the Thunder off the floor.

It's not about redeeming the Warriors, then. Golden State doesn't necessarily need a savior. The title loss, though, gives KD cover to move to the Bay Area and not be a bandwagon player. Is ... is that a thing?

Regardless of any twisted logic, Golden State will of course have competition for Durant's services. The former MVP is slated to meet with the Warriors, Thunder and San Antonio Spurs when free agency opens next week. All would make a lot of sense for KD, and whichever team signs him will be one of the top title contenders in 2016-17.

For now, a return to Oklahoma City still seems like the surest bet. Most conversations about his pending free agency mention the likelihood that he'll sign a two-year deal with a player option for the second season next year. While he could insist on that deal with any team, he makes the most money by coming to those terms with the Thunder: They can offer him a larger raise on his 2015-16 salary, a provision of the current collective bargaining agreement that's intended to give a free agent's current team an advantage in re-signing a player.

On the other hand, Durant has said publicly that basketball will be the biggest consideration in his free agency decision. If he's that much more concerned about rings than money, the Thunder should be worried. Both San Antonio and Golden State are in better position to compete for titles in both the short and long-term, especially if they can add KD.