Kevin Durant is the clear big prize of NBA free agency this summer, assuming he will actually be available, and rumors surrounding potential destinations will surely continue to come. Now, for lack of a better term, the herd of teams with a legitimate chance to sign Durant is being thinned a bit.
During a radio appearance with Jason McIntyre of The Big Lead over the weekend, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports suggested that Durant will be seeking an immediate contender in free agency. That does not bode well for two possible suitors, one close to his hometown (Washington Wizards) and one in line to have plenty of money to spend (Los Angeles Lakers), as both teams are not immediate title contenders heading into next season.
“Washington and the Lakers, they are not frontrunners for Kevin Durant,” Wojnarowski said, via The Big Lead. “He wants to win a championship. If he leaves Oklahoma – he may end up staying there – Golden State is the team that is worrisome for Oklahoma City. That’s the team that has Kevin Durant’s attention. Kevin Durant wants to win a Championship right away. Either he wants to do that in Oklahoma City, with the group they have, or he’s going to go somewhere he can win a title right away.
“Kevin Durant doesn’t care if they have the 1st pick, 2nd pick, 3rd pick – no free agent cares. No free agent of his stature cares what draft pick the team has, because that guy’s not going to help them win a Championship in the next 2-3 years.”
Wanting to win a championship right away means the Oklahoma City Thunder have a great chance to retain Durant. The Golden State Warriors would move to the front of the line among other teams, if they can clear the salary cap room to take on what should be a max contract for Durant this summer.
Durant will turn 28 just before the 2016-17 season starts, so while he should have plenty of peak years left he clearly recognizes his window to win an NBA title is closing. I would still bet he doesn’t leave Oklahoma City, unless another ready-made championship contender unexpectedly comes with a big offer, and Golden State will be lurking as a possibility until further notice.
