Durant expressed his change of mind: willing to return to the Warriors and join forces with Curry, and the transaction will be renewed for 120 million yuan in two years

The latest report by the well-known NBA reporter Shams Sharania, Durant has changed his mind and is open to the proposal to return to the Warriors through trades, and is willing to join forces with Curry to play until retirement. Once the deal is reached, Durant will return to the Warriors and receive a two-year contract renewal of $120 million.

Due to an accidental injury in Curry, the Warriors lost to the Timberwolves in the Western Conference semi-finals, the team's management has clarified the direction of team building. The healthy Curry still has the ability to lead the team to win the championship. Jimmy Butler perfectly adapts to Kerr's tactical system. As long as you get another star on this basis, you can achieve your plan to win the championship again. "The Warriors will seek the championship puzzle in an extremely radical way during the offseason, and the most important goal is to bring Durant back to the Bay Area." Saranya said, "Durant is the appropriate choice for the Warriors for potential stars in the trading market. Now it seems that both sides are willing to reunite this summer." Before the mid-term trading deadline in February, the Warriors management held substantial trading negotiations with the Suns. It was precisely because Durant came forward to oppose that the transaction did not happen. At that time, Durant gave a reason in the live broadcast link between Drummond Green and Barron Davis, that is, he did not want to trade in the mid-season for the benefit of the team and individuals. "I don't think there is any need to make such a big change," Durant said. "The cooperation between Green, Curry and Butler now looks very good. At that time, I just wanted to stick to the end and finish this season with the Suns."

Cole also confirmed Durant's statement. "We tried to trade back to Durant before, and the team was in trouble, especially as we entered the middle of the season, and it felt like the team was completely stagnant," Cole said. Fortunately, Butler's addition changed the Warriors' defensive system and their offensive control was also very good. The low turnover and the ability to get free throws in fouls have raised the Warriors' offense and defense to the top level in half. The Warriors' plan is to continue to compete for the championship in Curry's career, which coincides with Durant's personal ideas and is also an important reason why Durant's attitude is loose and changes his mind.

Another reason Durant is willing to return to the Warriors is that Antetokounmpo enters the trading market, which leads to teams like the Rockets and Spurs that use enough chips are not interested in trading with the Suns. The possibility of joining the Thunder, the Knicks or the Timberwolves is also relatively small. The Warriors and Durant's reunion can be said to be in two directions. Durant will be 37 years old next season and enters his 18th season of his career. Only the Warriors' team building schedule is in line with Durant's career trajectory. Returning to the Warriors is also a last resort based on the actual situation. Durant teamed up with Curry to win the championship again and retired with the Warriors and is likely to retire the jersey in the Warriors in the future.

"I hope my career will end my own way." Durant said, "This is the only thing, and this is the only thing I consider." Returning to the Warriors is undoubtedly Durant's best choice, and the Suns will also seriously consider the Warriors' trading chips, including first-round draft picks, Moses Moody, Pojemsky and Kuminga's first signing and then exchange. Although Butler gave out the 2025 first-round draft pick in the trade, the Warriors still have four first-round draft picks to trade, which for the Suns, this is one of the best quotes Durant can get in the trade.

Once the Warriors and the Suns reach a deal, Durant's renewal contract will be completed in the future. Durant has only $54.71 million left in one year for the current contract. He previously rejected the two-year contract renewal provided by the Suns, which is one of the reasons for the decline in transaction value. Durant returns to the Bay Area, and the Warriors are expected to offer a contract extension like Butler, with a two-year maximum salary of $120 million. In the summer of 2027, Curry, Butler and Durant's three maximum salary contracts expire together, and the Warriors will have huge salary space to gain a new team-building core.

Butler, Curry and Dream Chasing form a core triangle. The Warriors management strengthens the lineup around this set of cores and aims at the championship next season. Mike Dunleavy has made it clear that it will adopt an "extremely radical" strategy to strive to get Durant back to the Bay Area this summer.