Kevin Durant playing against Toronto could hurt the Phoenix Suns

Kevin Durant has been upgraded to questionable for Game 5 of the NBA Finals, but if he plays and further aggravating his injury, it could indirectly and negatively affect the Phoenix Suns.

The 2019 NBA Free Agency pool is deep and full of very big fish – none bigger than Kevin Durant.

Durant has missed the last nine playoff games with a “calf” injury. I place the word in air quotes because of the number of professional athletes who said that based on the way he reacted the moment he received the injury, it looked strikingly similar to an achilles injury – something that if true could be a huge deal.

The Golden State Warriors have maintained throughout this period of time that the injury is his calf and that his return was always possible, although they have never publicly provided specifics on the injury and used their vague timetable to force their opponents to strategize for every possible scenario, while many people (most notably Charles Barkley) have maintained a belief that his injury is far worse than they are letting on that Durant was never going to return for the playoffs.

But now that the Warriors are down 3-1 in the Finals against the Toronto Raptors, and Golden State has their collective backs against the wall for only the second time in five championship series tries, it seems more and more necessary that if they are going to stand any chance of making an epic comeback that Durant must  return to the lineup.

Phoenix Suns

Of course the Warriors’ claim that Durant is questionable could just be the expansion of their current smoke screen and that he has absolutely no chance of returning.

However, if there is a chance that even at a small percentage of health he can play, they might not have any choice but to throw him out there for at least 15-20 minutes a game which could make the difference between a fourth title, or the end of a dynasty.

However, let’s say that the professional athletes (and armchair doctors such as myself) around the country who have surmised that Durant’s injury is his achilles are correct and that the “calf” claim is untrue.

And let’s also say that KD plays on it and not only further aggravates the injury but somehow makes it worse.

Is it possible that in the chase for a championship the injury could reach the point where teams currently on a quest to sign him in free agency might instead stay away?

For Phoenix Suns fans, that should be their greatest fear.

Most speculation at this moment has Durant heading to the Eastern Conference which would not only make the Golden State Warriors weaker (and aside from their four game sweep of the Portland Trailblazers in the Western Conference Finals, they have looked like a team that can be beaten), but it also prevents another Western Conference team (for instance, the Los Angeles Lakers) from leaping into championship prominence, placing a further obstacle in the Phoenix Suns’ way of leaping in the standings and into both playoff participation and success.

If Durant’s injury ends up being very serious, potentially not only reaching the point that it needs surgery to repair but also missed time during the regular season – not to mention, although he is in peak physical condition, KD will be 31-years-old next season and when coming off of a major injury, he might see some slide in is athleticism – might teams then hesitate in offering him a max contract out of fear that he will never live up to it?

If this is the case, Golden State could offer him a one year contract (I am going to suppose that they can, although I do not claim to have the mathematical answers in regards to cap implications), or actually be more enticed to offer him a max contract as he would be more inclined to accept it from them if he is not going to receive such an offer from another team.

And unless Durant’s athleticism diminishes significantly  to the point that he is no longer an effective star (which would be the worst case scenario and while unlikely, I supposed there is always that chance), he will continue to remain strong enough to be an integral part on a legit Golden State Warriors team that will continue to keep the Phoenix Suns at arm’s length for as long as they can.

If Kevin Durant plays in the NBA Finals on an injured leg and hurts himself far more significantly, there is a chance that he could miss out on long-term contract offers from teams other than the Golden State Warriors keeping the Pacific Division very difficult for the Phoenix Suns to maneuver.

Suns fans want Kevin Durant to continue to rest, let the Toronto Raptors win (which might also help Phoenix), both of which will maximize the opportunity for multiple max contract offers that will get him as far from here as possible.