“I like our team and where it’s at”

A return to the Golden State Warriors for Kevin Durant seemed possible after the Brooklyn Nets star made his trade request, but those rumors just got a healthy dose of cold water.

Warriors general manager Bob Myers downplayed the possibility of a Durant trade in a pre-ESPY interview with NBA.com’s Mark Medina on Wednesday:

“I like our team and where it’s at,” Myers told NBA.com. “I want to give the guys a chance to do it again … It’s a good group. We are lucky. It will be fun to see.”

That doesn’t sound like the words of a guy who plans to blow up his roster to acquire a superstar in exchange for a litany of young players and draft picks.

It was previously reported that the Warriors stars have been in contact with Durant and are “open” to the possibility of a trade if the stars agree, but are also content to keep their young core and aim for another title.

What would Kevin Durant be worth to the Warriors?

Despite winning an NBA title last season, the Warriors also appear to be one of the teams that could put together a competitive bid for the former MVP.

You can start with Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole, two younger players who played major roles in the team’s championship run and are under new contracts after next season. Wiggins will be an unrestricted free agent, while Poole will be a restricted free agent.

Behind that pair, the Warriors also have three former top-10 picks in the last two years in James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. All three have shown potential as NBA starters, although Wiseman missed all of last season with a meniscus tear.

The Warriors still own all future first-round draft picks except for 2024, which the Grizzlies have thanks to the deal that sent Andre Iguodala to Memphis in 2019.

A return to the Warriors doesn’t appear to be in the cards for Kevin Durant. (Photo by Hanna Voslien/Getty Images)

Those are plenty of potential pieces with a healthy range of immediate and future value, but the Warriors also might not jump at the chance to re-mortgage their future to build a superteam for a few years, especially when Stephen Curry is 34, Durant is at 33, and Draymond Green and Klay Thompson are 32.

Bringing Durant would also push the team even deeper into the luxury tax, something team owner Joe Lacob is already complaining about.