The theory among the teams eager to pursue Kevin Durant this summer is that the Thunder’s second-round series against the Spurs will decide whether he leaves Oklahoma City, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Durant would stay if the Thunder win and leave if they lose, Stein relays, stressing that it’s merely an assumption among the front offices. The Spurs, with the series tied 1-1, indeed have designs on luring Durant to San Antonio, Stein hears, echoing what several rival executives suggested to Chris Mannix of The Vertical in March.
Zach Lowe of ESPN.com recently compared the talk about Durant joining the Spurs as “eerily similar” to the early rumblings that connected LaMarcus Aldridge to San Antonio last year. Still, the Warriors loom as another powerful suitor, and The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported in February at that they would be significant front-runners for Durant if he were to leave the Thunder. Golden State is optimistic about its chances, and chatter has gone on since the Warriors’ record 24-0 start about the kinship Durant formed on Team USA with Stephen Curry and Andre Iguodala, Stein writes. The Wizards, Heat, Celtics, Rockets, Lakers and Clippers are planning hard pushes for Durant, too, according to Stein, who cautions that it’s premature to peg any team aside from the Thunder as the favorite to land him.
Neither the Warriors nor the Spurs have the cap flexibility to sign Durant for his max of an estimated $26MM for next season without making trades, waiving players via the stretch provision, or both. The Vertical’s Bobby Marks illustrated a scenario involving maneuvers that would give the Warriors enough room to sign Durant, and Danny Leroux of The Sporting News laid out San Antonio’s path. The Clippers would have to offload either Chris Paul, Blake Griffin or DeAndre Jordan, as I noted in our offseason outlook for the team earlier today.
The teams who assume Durant will stay with the Thunder if Oklahoma City advances to the next round of the playoffs suggest he’d go for a two-year contract with a player option on year two, the same sort of contract LeBron James favors, according to Stein. That would allow Durant the flexibility for him to hit free agency again next summer, when Russell Westbrook‘s contract expires, and it would represent the most lucrative path for the former MVP, as I examined. Still, Durant told Stein at the All-Star break that he hadn’t considered such a contract structure.
Celtics please
You honestly believe the KD will go to San Antonio next season? In my opinion no because they have the best defender of Leonard. KD might as well go to a team who have won a lot of championships and that’s the Mavericks.
He’d never go to Dallas. He can’t stand Mark Cuban. I bet he either goes to GS, Houston or Lakers.
He might go to boston because of the bright future
Thanks I needed a good laugh! Boston is a nightmare. No free agent wants to play for the celtics! Take off your fan goggles.
I say he goes to Dallas and Mark Cuban gives him a massive contract that he can’t refuse. Golden State has steph Curry why would Durant go there? Houston has no chance of getting Durant as much as I like James Harden. The Lakers are rebuilding next season and Durant wants to win now. San Antonio doesn’t need him because they got Leonard and there’s no way that Leonard goes to the bench next season absoulutely not. Dallas will like KD because Parsons is leaving the Mavericks because of two knee surgeries. KD would like playing with Dirk Nowitski because he can learn that famous one legged fade that Dirk likes to do.
Your logic makes no sense. If Leonard is the best defender, it would make more sense to join him rather than go elsewhere. Also the Mavs only have 1 NBA championship to their name. I want to say your just trolling because you always put crazy Mavs-bias statements like this but at the same time it seems to biased to be trolling.
Just giving out my opinion is all not pushing nobody’s buttons at all. Parsons is not coming back to the Mavericks he can’t stay healthy. Why not go after a Levine Durant or maybe a Harrison Barnes or how about Nicolas Batum?
Yup… All “one” of them.
Lakers fans would welcome with arms wide open.
He not going to the lakers or Knicks pipe dream and this talk of him not going to his home in Washington is a joke . There is very serous reason that is foolish thinking. Cousin he not being traded to lakers either . Kings owner ship like him and he has poll where he goes and here one place where he want to go if he got trade and that Washington because it not rumor that him and his best friend John wall would love to play with each other and if wizards could put together package close to what I put out there yesterday and cousin’s joins John wall ,Bradley beal ,Seth curry ,jelly oubre jr Otto porter jr, victor Oladipo , Aaron white Tomas satoransky and Kendrick Perkins either sign Jeff green or Ryan Anderson then there now way he can say no to that roster . I heard he does want pressure on play Ingrid at home that bigger jock . If he went to lakers he have pressure to bring lakers back to greatness . Same if he went to Knicks and there father back then wizards . Miami is getting old all there best player wade ,bosh, deng , joe Johnson stoudamire over 30 dragic is not top ten point guard Jason whiteside is one trick pony he is deandre Jordan 2.0 he not great center clipper don’t have room for him they have trade both griffin and Paul and get ride of most of there bench to make this happen same with golden st there better off resigning there team keeping core of there roster together and when it come to Houston that not going to happen one Dwight Howard is gone and harden is Russell Westbrook a ball hog the only difference he doesn’t play def. Dallas doesn’t have peice either since the best players all over 30 and getting past there prim . Then the Spurs once again there only one great player on there
Only one great player under 30 on ther roster that’s leonard Duncan Parker ginobilli mite have 2 year most left if that same with miller . West diaw bonner Aldridge all over 30 and mite have at most 2 to 4 years at most left and and when it come with there young player mills majanobic
Green are older then core of the wizards . Bulls are going to have to re build . And when it comes to the thunder let be real there not going to get another great player to go there and Westbrook is most likely going to go home next year when he signs a contract with clipper to replace Paul not lakers so when you really look at it if wizard front off was smart and they can make trade for cousin with out trading there young core they really are the perfect place for durant and bye the way this talk that la New York and Miami and even Houston or Dallas are power city’s is a jock hate bust the media and all of you bubble but there only one city that most power city in the world and the capital of this country and that Washington, D.C.
Cavs should make a push for him
Join the Timberwolves,and the amazing core pieces we have
Please come to Minnesota and join our awesome core of young players
Actually, that isn’t a bad idea. If I was KD I would definitely consider it…. Towns/wiggins/Lavine are great young and on rookie contracts! Plus they have another potential top 3 pick this year. Also, They can give you max money and a great defensive coach. The only way I see KD going to wolves is if he has an agreement with Westbrook for him to join him as well the year afterwards. One thing is for certain, KD doesn’t want to play with one of the worst shooting PG in the league: Rubio!
Gameplan: Trade Pekovic and Rubio for picks or Westbrook maybe?? will free 25 mill of the cap, with estimated next year cap of 90mill this will give you 60 mill to play with
Trade Pekovic/Rubio and 2 1st round picks for Westbrook or just 1 more year until WB is unrestricted FA and go after him then… which would be wise and trade Pekovic and Rubio for picks for in this draft. Maybe even go cheap and sign Rondo or Teague hmmm?
go after and Sign: KD, WB $20 mil/yr each sign Al Horford 13 mil/yr
sign bench: DJ Augustin, Luis Scola, Matt Barnes (Memphis), kevin martin
Potential starting 5 of 2017 ; Westbrook??, Wiggins, KD, Horford, Towns.
I think this lineup could definitely contend for a title with the addition of key role players on the bench.
Come on to Atlanta and make your own Dynasty instead of joining someone else’s.