The split between Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry is even more interesting now

He traded Stephen Curry for Kyrie Irving two years ago. That’s a swap others might’ve hesitated to do even before Irving took a controversial vaccine stand that effectively forced him to take a seat.

Undeniably, Kevin Durant always follows his own path, adheres to his own rules, and dances to his own rhythm — freedoms that come with being among the top two or three NBA players in the world. Durant secured this privilege years ago by proving his ability to uplift himself and any team fortunate enough to have him. In such a situation, you exercise your liberty for your own fulfillment, and not for anyone else’s.

Your choice, however, does come with consequences — same as everyone else’s. And right now, examining the current state of his previous and current teams, and weighing the worth of Curry and Irving, it’s fair to wonder: Did Durant choose wisely when he bailed on the Warriors in 2019?

The Nets are currently dealing with a muddled situation in the early stages of a new season. They are faced with the stark reality of either winning the championship or facing failure, with no margin for mistakes. This is the sole objective when you recruit three future Hall of Famers, at their peak, specifically for this purpose.

But the early returns of a long season are complicated for Durant and the Nets. They’re searching for that championship traction. James Harden is off to a mild start and the former Kia MVP is possibly bedeviled by new rule changes that no longer honor his ability to draw fouls. The supporting cast is fine, but again, they’re for support only.

In any case, it’s all about the elephant in the room, whom the Nets instructed to leave the room and remain at home.

Irving is busy sitting, while Curry is busy cooking. Nobody knows how long either will trend in those directions, but the safe money is on Curry for obvious reasons. He’s coming off an MVP-finalist year and is closing in on the NBA’s all-time lead in 3-pointers made. He recently dropped 50 points and 10 assists in a game and still remains the best teammate Durant ever had.

Durant and Curry are the two leading scorers in the league right now, respectively, while also holding down the top two spots in Michael C. Wright’s latest Kia MVP Ladder. Both are also the reigning NBA Players of the Week.

Meanwhile, Irving remains steadfast in his hesitance to get vaccinated. Who would have thought that the same man who shattered the Warriors’ reign in 2016 with an iconic jumper would refuse not just one, but two shots?

In a curious coincidence, that Game 7 pull-up 3-pointer by Irving was launched over Curry’s outstretched fingertips. It was a cold-blooded Finals moment frozen in time and gave Irving and his talents the ultimate stamp of approval.

Surprisingly, Durant, as a free agent, decided to leave Curry and the Warriors after three successful seasons. A few years later, he received a second approval when he chose to link his future with Irving instead.

As Durant prepares to meet his former co-star and team Tuesday when the league-leading Warriors play in Brooklyn (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT), the Nets are leaning heavier on Durant than they originally thought, or wanted to, at this point. Crazy thing is, Durant is more than capable of carrying the freight. He has scored 20 or more in all 14 games to start the season, one shy of Karl Malone’s record.

He’s scoring an impressive average of 29.6 points per game with a remarkable shooting percentage of 58.6%. In addition, he’s pulling down 8.4 rebounds per game and proving to be a headache for the opposing team, which is typical for him. As he once notably stated, he is Kevin Durant – “you know who I am.” Absolutely.

Remember though, this super team was created with the intention of multiple superstars leading it. With the likes of Harden, Irving, and Durant forming an impressive trio, they are all set to outshine the Knicks in the hearts of New Yorkers, clinch victories, and provide an answer to the popular question reverberating in the largest borough: Where’s Brooklyn?

If the moons and Irving’s moods are aligned, this might eventually occur.

Durant maintains his belief about the Nets’ potential in public, stating in early October, “of course we have enough” to succeed without Irving. This comment is not particularly audacious during the regular season.

He added: “While we are playing in a game, I am not going to sit there and say … when we get down or it is a tight game, like ‘Damn, we don’t have enough.’ We definitely want Kyrie Irving out here on the floor. And he is a huge part of what we do. But it is not happening right now. So we got to figure it out … no one is going to lose confidence and hope Kyrie comes to save us. We got to play. Everybody here has confidence in what they do.”

However, currently, Durant and the Nets are faced with the possibility of Harden’s performance being affected by rule changes and potentially aging. Also, there’s a chance that Irving may stubbornly refuse to return this season.

The local government’s vaccine mandate means Irving will not play any home games at Barclays Center, and the Nets, weary of the drama, didn’t want a part-time player in the lineup so they told Irving to skip the road games, too. The franchise could stick to its guns and hope Irving’s love of basketball eventually overwhelms his distaste for the vaccine, but who knows who’ll blink first?

Meanwhile, there are no such worries with the 11-2 Warriors. Curry is following up an epic season with the makings of another. His jumper remains pure (and could get even better) and his determination to lift the Warriors back among the contenders remains firm. An argument can be made that Curry is still the most difficult assignment in the league, putting him in very small company — one that includes Durant.

Once upon a time, they comprised a fearsome twosome, alternately wielding daggers and seizing the spirit of any team that anxiously gazed at them from across the court. Apart from injuries — specifically Durant’s Achilles tear in 2019 that barred a third title with Curry — nothing could quash their rule unless Durant or Curry departed.

Curry, the local favorite and cherished star, wasn’t moving. Instead, he committed to a four-year extension with Golden State during the offseason. Durant, however, desired something different, something that renewing his contract with the Warriors couldn’t provide. Therefore, he chose to leave — rightfully his decision — and teamed up with Irving. When Harden insisted on leaving Houston, the Nets ended up with a three-man core that, theoretically, appeared as formidable as the Curry-Durant-Klay Thompson combination.

Speaking of Klay: He’s on the mend from a pair of major injuries and anxious to prove that he belonged on the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team. That fuel should only help the Warriors elevate themselves among the best in the West … but how much better off would they — and Durant — be if they’d remained intact together?

There’s no point in dwelling on what could have been with that game anymore. Durant appears content where he is – he even signed a contract extension this summer – and as always, is focused on victory, no matter the circumstances.

Meanwhile, Curry was unable to lead the Warriors to the playoffs last season, largely due to Golden State’s numerous injuries. However, the challenge of restoring the Warriors’ prominence has evidently ignited a spark within him.

At the core of this issue is the fact that Durant’s challenge in Brooklyn is significantly more difficult than the ease he experienced at Golden State. Therefore, we should commend him for choosing the path laden with more perilous twists.

We will revisit this issue and update the scorecard next spring and summer. Until then, Durant’s choice is unmistakably clear at this very moment.

While Irving is occupied with drawing DNPs, Curry is engaged in drawing applause.

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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.

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