Golden State Warriors: Why trading Kevin Durant isn’t completely crazy

3. The Warriors have won without Durant before

Losing Durant would obviously be a huge hit to the Warriors’ hopes of winning the 2019 NBA championship. And yet, some people tend to forget that they actually won a ring without KD.

Back in 2014-15, the Warriors were dominant. Not only did they finish with the best record in the Western Conference, but they flew through the postseason bracket, losing a total of five games on their way to a title. Was Durant on the team back then? Nope.

What about the 2015-16 season? Yes, the Warriors fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Finals as a result of what can only be described as a historic meltdown. Still, they ended that season with a 73-9 record, the greatest finish in NBA history. They didn’t need Durant to pull that feat off, and who knows if having him would have made the difference in the Finals.

Since he arrived in the Bay Area in 2016, Durant has played a pivotal role in this franchise’s ability to win rings. There’s a decent chance they don’t survive 2018’s Western Conference Finals showdown with the Houston Rockets if KD isn’t there. And yet, as I’ve already said, they’ve done it without him before.

It’s not a reason to let someone go — just a reason to be okay with letting someone go.