If the NBA had a throne, signifying the one man who sits on top of the world, Kevin Durant would take ownership. He’s the most potent scorer on the league’s best team, he earned championship rings over the past two seasons, and he was the MVP of the Finals the past two seasons.

Upon that mythical seat, he does not rest comfortably. There’s a lot of negative chatter about Durant, always centered around his move from Oklahoma City to Golden State, and it bothers the heck out of him. He can’t let it go. You wonder if he’s looking for a new challenge in his NBA life — and he has set himself up nicely in that regard.

In the summer of 2017, Durant signed for what amounted to a $9 million discount so the Warriors could have an easier path keeping their core group (notably Andre Iguodala) together. And he has taken the short-term route again, signing a two-year deal including a player option for 2019-20. That gives him the right to become a free agent next summer in a market projected to be extremely player-friendly under that year’s salary-cap structure. He’ll be eligible to sign a five-year “max” deal with the Warriors, but he can also look elsewhere.

This is not intended to throw Warriors fans into a panic. Durant has said nothing of moving on, and he has proved to be a magnificent fit on a team loaded with superstars. What he doesn’t say, nearly often enough, is “Scoreboard.”

That’s the perfect, one-word response for anyone responding to senseless criticism. Durant’s scoreboard lights up with glory; it speaks for itself. He shouldn’t even be reading nasty tweets from clueless fans, let alone respond in bitter tones, but he’s back in that mode this summer. And his sensitivity made headlines this week when Portland guard CJ McCollum called him “soft” (via Twitter) and the two had an awkward exchange on McCollum’s podcast. McCollum jabbed away about Durant’s lack of loyalty, and taking the easy way out, and at one point — when McCollum said the Blazers “have the team” to win a title — Durant simply laughed at him.

This is all complete nonsense. Only a fool would question Durant’s desire to leave an organization — one to which he devoted nine years of his life — for a better chance to win. But in a conversation with reporters during the USA Basketball training camp in Las Vegas, Durant made it clear he’s annoyed by the criticism. “I know you think I’m sensitive,” he said. “But I’m just somebody who is tired of holding s— in.”

It seems natural to assume that Durant would want to be part of the Warriors’ 2019 move to San Francisco, where he owns a residence. But he also recently bought a $12 million beachfront house in Malibu. He’s a big-picture thinker, a seeker of the ideal, and has he truly found satisfaction with the Warriors? You can’t be “the man” on a team that includes Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. Is it possible he’d like to show the world that he can join an up-and-coming team, be the dominant player and win yet another ring?

It’s all speculation, but some responsible NBA insiders believe Durant has left his options open for a reason. Two things for certain: The Warriors are very, very lucky to have him. And he’ll never find a situation as perfect as the one he enjoys in the Bay Area. Lifestyle, climate, after-retirement business opportunities, the historic purity of the Warriors’ on-court style — quite a package. From this viewpoint, it’s hard to believe he’d leave all that behind.

Barnett’s in the fold

When the Raiders made their decision to drop Greg Papa from their radio broadcasts, some wondered if the Warriors might become interested — but it’s status quo there. Bob Fitzgerald will continue TV broadcasts working alongside Jim Barnett, who learned this week that the club has picked up the option year of his two-year deal. “I’m fine with just one year,” Barnett said on Friday. “This will take me through the Oakland era, and we’ll see what happens from there. I’m totally fine with everything.” ... Final note on Durant: It’s a wonder anyone talks about loyalty when superstar players switch teams so readily. Look up the 2013-14 season’s all-NBA selections and you’ll find only one of the 10 players on the first and second teams has spent his entire career with one organization. That would be Curry. ... For all the talk about Carmelo Anthony being forced to take a lesser role in Houston, where does it say he won’t be a starter? The pre-Melo depth chart shows P.J. Tucker and Ryan Anderson at the forwards. Anthony adds no defense whatsoever, but it’s hard to imagine a future Hall of Famer playing behind either of those two, with James Harden and Chris Paul so eager to fit Anthony into the offense. ... LeBron James orchestrated a championship (2016) on the Warriors’ floor. Kyrie Irving hit the big shot. And the face of the Cavaliers is ... Kevin Love, who recently signed a four-year deal. The smart money had Cleveland trading Love for a draft pick or two, but it’s apparent that owner Dan Gilbert wants to keep this team relevant without LeBron. That’s a tough go. Rookie guard Collin Sexton (Alabama) will bring some excitement, but there will be no Act Five of the Cavs-Warriors saga with the likes of J.R. Smith, Tristan Thompson and George Hill still around. They should be flush in cap space in two years, with a lot of bad contracts off the books, and they own potential lottery picks in 2019 and ’20. ... And here’s JaVale McGee, on joining the Lakers after earning two rings with the Warriors: “As a kid, you always want to play for either the Lakers or Boston, just for the rivalry alone,” he told reporters. “So to have an opportunity to come into a winning situation with LeBron coming in, you can’t deny that.” ... Left without a game to broadcast, Duane Kuiper spoke with KNBR Wednesday morning with the Giants-Seattle game about to be aired only to Facebook subscribers. “I can’t defend it,” he said. “My dad (in Wisconsin) is 93, and he lives to watch us on TV. He can’t watch today.”

Bruce Jenkins is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: bjenkins@sfchronicle.com Twitter @Bruce_Jenkins1