For the second time in the last four years, the NBA offseason largely will be centered around Kevin Durant.
Durant headlines a handful of superstars who are poised to become free agents this summer. While we’ve heard more than enough predictions regarding KD’s future from fans and media members, it’s about time we heard from the players themselves.
The Athletic’s Sam Amick conducted a poll among 127 players who were tasked with answering 16 questions of a variety of topics. One of which was where will Durant be playing next season, and it looks like NBAers are thinking just like the rest of us.
Of the 109 players who responded, 63.3 percent believes Durant will land with the New York Knicks. A return to the Warriors earned 20.2 percent of the vote, while the Brooklyn Nets came in third at 4.5 percent. The Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers all received small fractions of the vote.
Durant to the Knicks has gained steady steam as the season has progressed. League executives reportedly believe Durant will head to New York with Kyrie Irving, whose relationship with the two-time Finals MVP reportedly is “as strong as ever.” The Knicks are a dumpster fire at present, but things could change in a hurry given their impending salary cap flexibility and chances of landing the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft.
So while the playoffs are expected to be exciting, they might pale in comparison to the offseason.
