Book Four: Golden State's Golden Age
Chapter 682: A Difficult Road
Rather than drain everything for a shot at a championship, it was better to hold tightly to their remaining draft picks and preserve a sliver of vitality for the Cavaliers' future. After being rejected by the Cavaliers, Durant's dream of joining a strong team and contending immediately was completely shattered. He could only choose a new home from among the other teams and take a difficult road. In the end, he was persuaded by a team that was both ancient and young. Once again, Kleiman's connections came into play. He pulled every string he had before learning why the Cavaliers had rejected Durant. On July 10, Durant published a handwritten letter titled "My Next Chapter" on The Players' Tribune, a website he had invested in, announcing his final decision: David Griffin shook his head. Left with no choice, Durant abandoned the idea of going to the Bulls and instead contacted his second-favorite destination—the Cavaliers. The Clippers had been quite sincere, but Durant did not consider them a strong team. Although he met with the Clippers' delegation, he did not include them among his options. In the end, Gilbert was persuaded by David Griffin and painfully turned Durant down. To outsiders, Durant's process of meeting with different teams and finally making a decision was nothing more than a series of simple news reports. But behind that cold text lay an incomparably winding road. "We already can't beat the Warriors. By your logic, we still can't beat the Warriors even with Durant, so what championship are we supposed to compete for?" In order to form a Big Three, the Cavaliers had long exceeded the salary cap and paid a massive $54 million luxury tax last season. If Durant wanted to join