Jay Williams believes Kevin Durant was “misdiagnosed” prior to returning to the NBA Finals and rupturing his Achilles tendon, which will likely cost him all of next season and could impact his free agency.

On ESPN’s “Get Up” on Thursday, the broadcaster and former NBA player said the Warriors were trying to get the most out of Durant before he left and told him there was no way he would injure his Achilles.

Before dismissing this notion, it should be noted Williams has a relationship with Durant, which may be where he is getting his information from. The two had dinner on Sunday night and Williams accurately predicted him attempting to play in Game 5.

“Ultimately, I think this falls on the Golden State Warriors. He got misdiagnosed — he got misdiagnosed. I know for a fact he was told with a torn calf, a partially torn calf, it unloaded the pressure on the Achilles,” Williams said. “There was no chance the Achilles could be injured at all. For that to happen in the first half of a ball game, I can’t fathom that. Watching it, I got ignited, I got pissed off.

“From a public relations perspective, I think the way the Warriors have handled this has been horrific. Their camp knew he wasn’t going to play until Game 5, Game 6. It was set from the beginning. The Warriors didn’t come out and say that. They said, potentially, even during the Portland series, ‘hey, he could come back.’ Game 1, he could come back. Game 2, he could come back. [Owner] Joe Lacob’s going on the Stephen A. Smith show saying ‘he will be back.’

“I think all of that gives subliminal pressure to a player who we all know wants to compete at the highest level. Now if you really have his best interest in mind, if you really want this guy to be around 4-5 years, you say, ‘you’re not playing this game. We’re thinking about the long term instead of the short term.’ But when it seeps into your mind, you think he can leave, all of sudden [it’s like] we have to get it right.”