The topic became a season-long fascination through the walls of Oracle Arena, through the streets of Oakland and San Francisco and on any social media outlet. It is a topic that Warriors luminaries Rick Barry, Clifford Ray and Jamaal Wilkes have wondered as well.

Will Kevin Durant stay or go? The Warriors will receive some clarity when free agency begins on Sunday at 3 pm PT. Before that, there will be hand wringing over whether Durant signs with the New York Knicks or Brooklyn Nets. There will be hope that Durant stays with the Warriors. No one truly knows, perhaps except for Durant.

That won’t stop the conversation this week. It only heightens it. Even for the members of the Warriors’ 1975 NBA championship team. Hence, Barry, Ray and Wilkes spoke to Bay Area News Group about Durant’s pending free agency and what they expect. Below is a Q&A edited for clarity and length.

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What’s your feeling on Kevin Durant’s free agency?

Barry: “I hope his decision is to stay with the Warriors. He’s entitled to do whatever he wants to do. But I find everyone thinks that he’s leaving, and I can’t figure out why he would want to do that. That’s just me. Kevin is entitled to make whatever decision he wants to make. I certainly wish him well with whatever that is. I’m so sad for him he had to incur such a major injury and hope that he has a speedy recovery. I’m going to hope and pray that he decides to be with the Warriors. These guys together have a chance to do something incredibly special and win multiple championships. There’s no doubt in my mind if both he and Klay were healthy, they would have won the title this year. They would have a chance to win multiple titles as years go on if they stay together and stay healthy. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen this year.

I just don’t understand why he would want to leave. There are so many reasons. I would say he shouldn’t do it. He didn’t like being questioned by the media and leave me a lone. If he goes to a place and is going to New York, I don’t know he understands what it’s like to play for a New York team. If he thinks he is bothered by the press here, he is in for a real treat there. So I don’t understand it. To know you would have to do so much more to have a chance to win, why do you want to do that if you can still be a two-time MVP and it’s so much easier to play the game by the Warriors when you’re playing that brand of basketball? There are so many factors that go into this that are positives. But as I say, that’s his decision. I’m looking forward to seeing play. I would like to see him in a Warriors uniform obviously.”

Ray: “I don’t know if it’s so much about money. Do you think it’s about money? What do you think motivates players these days? Do you even know these days? Maybe it would be if there is something else you want to accomplish. It took a long time for the country to accept that Kevin Durant is perhaps one of the best players on the planet. It took a long time for people to just say that. I don’t know if that sometimes irritates him or not. But it certainly would irritate me (laughs). From that standpoint, I see him get overlooked at times about things that go on with the basketball things. In particular this year, I think he didn’t want to have it any more. That’s why he said ‘I’m Kevin Durant.’ That’s why whenever I see him, I always say you’re outstanding. At the All-Star game, he sent them a clear message with his MVP. At the same time, he’s always been a humble guy from afar and what I’ve seen.”

Wilkes: “It’s a tough one. I would think that the Warriors would be sensitive to what he and his team want and try to work something out. I have no idea what the constraints are or what the issues are or what the desires are or anything. It’s a tough one.”

To what extent do you recruit and talk to Durant about the Warriors/versus letting him be and respecting his space?

Barry: “I’ve been shouting from the rooftops, hoping somebody will tell him what I’m saying and let him hear it and to understand why I feel that way. I’m trying to understand why. If he does decide to go, I can’t wait to hopefully hear if he makes that decision, why he made that decision. I would love to hear the reasoning of it. He’s entitled to whatever decision he wants to make. I would just like to find out what the reason is. But I would never [recruit him]. That’s his business. It’s not mine. I’m not going to interfere with his life. I can try to influence it by doing interviews, which I’ve done numerous times and said the things I’ve just said to you and hoping he hears it from somebody. Or if you write this story, he reads it and understands why. I have all good thoughts for him and hope he recovers and that he gets back to the level that he was. He’s an incredible player. He’s fun to watch. But I would hate to watch him in another uniform.

Ray: “We went to practice and they wanted us to speak. I told him this would be the toughest season ever. You’re going to have every kind of adversity you can see or imagine and then some. But if you weather the storm, you will get back to the Finals. [Editors note: The Warriors’ 1975 championship team attended practice before they were honored ] But I just think that you have to understand no matter what we think or how we look at our players or team. I could have mixed feelings. I could say a whole bunch of things that could be detrimental. But I can’t do that. That’s not my thing.”

Wilkes: “I would give him space. I would never do that unless someone asked for my opinion or advice. I would never offer it. It’s a very intense time during the season. You don’t have much time to focus on much else other than your job and I would never approach anyone.”

Even with how successful Durant has been with winning two NBA championships and two Finals MVP’s and remained consistently productive, what do you think of the ongoing criticism he has faced with leaving Oklahoma City and if he can win elsewhere?

Barry: “He doesn’t have to prove anything. He’s one of the greatest players of all time. There has never been a player like him in the history of the game with his size and the things that he does. He has nothing to prove. His legacy is going to be incredible. So why would you not want to continue to be in an incredible situation with incredible teammates and a team that is a great basketball team when you’re playing that brand of basketball? That’s what I’m saying. If he does leave, I have to figure out why. I have to figure out the reasoning behind this. I can’t figure out any way it makes any sense to me.”

Ray: “Those are all other people’s opinions. That’s not his opinion. Those are other people’s opinions. That’s what people. Normally, everybody goes by what they see and what is being said. Talk shows make money doing that every single day … Those opinions are taken by people who follow those particular stars. It doesn’t mean that’s what Kevin Durant thinks or how Kevin Durant truly feels. That’s what makes it so difficult. But he contributed tremendously to the Warriors organization.

Wilkes: “The fact is he did win. He won more than once. He also was the Finals MVP twice. All of the other stuff? You can’t please everybody. It’s good for the media and the fans to have something to talk about. I don’t really think it’s much of an issue. I think having with him having won championships, years from now is when he’ll really think about it and I think he’ll feel really secure with his legacy.”

I don’t think he needs to show [he can win somewhere else]. There’s so many variables in winning a championship. He can come to the Clippers and they have a great situation. But still it’s not proven like the Warriors. He can go to New York, or wherever he wants. But there’s a lot more doubt wherever he goes if it’s not the Warriors.”

Which team do you think Durant joins?

Barry: “I have no idea. I haven’t heard talk from him saying that he’s definitely leaving. That’s all just speculation on people’s parts and hearsay. Who knows what validity you can give to it or not. I don’t know … If I was involved with this team doing stuff, there is no way I would want to leave this basketball team. There could be other factors we don’t know about. But based upon everything I know, everything I see and everything that I’ve witnessed, I would not want to leave this team. It’s a pretty special opportunity to be in a pretty new building, great fans and great teammates and a chance to win championships. What the more can you ask for if you’re an athlete? Seriously.”

Ray: “I hope that they try to help him with the injuries. That might have an affect on them wanting to see if they can put it together as a group and make one more run. You never know what motivates a player. Your two biggest markets are in Los Angeles and in New York. I’m asking you this question. You are a perennial superstar basketball player and you have accomplished all of these things. You’re a two-time MVP and has won championships. Do you think it will intrigue you to turn the New York Knicks’ situation around? What would it mean to you as a player to go to the New York Knicks and the Knicks were in the Finals this coming season. What do you think it would mean to your legacy? Would you be intrigued? These are the things that go on in any competitor’s mind.”

Wilkes: “I’m not close enough to the situation. I follow the team from a distance and I show up two or three times a year for games. I’m not around practice. I’m not around the bus. That’s where you can get more of a feel when you’re in those situations. I would be hard pressed to see him leaving the Warriors because he has been so successful there. The grass is always greener on the other side. To explore options and so forth and so on, when it comes down to it, he’s taking a huge risk leaving a championship caliber team. The fact is they had an incredible run the last five years. If he’s going to go somewhere else and the expect that type of success, that’s a lot of pressure.”

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