Kevin Durant’s free agency decision might not be a foregone conclusion after all.
The bulk of the basketball world is under the impression the star forward will take his talents to New York this summer. But according to the New York Times’ Marc Stein, there’s a real chance Durant remains in the Golden State.
No, not with the Warriors.
“Within the last month, very smart and plugged-in people I have consulted say that the Los Angeles Clippers have emerged as an equally dangerous threat to the Knicks to sign Durant away from Golden State,” Stein writes. “And I believe it.
“Problem is, at various points during the season, I have heard trusted insiders state with conviction that Durant is already planning to join the Knicks … and then that he is likely to consider the Nets as well … and now that he is eyeing the Clippers just as intently as New York.
“It leads one to conclude that maybe the best forecast, at least for the moment, is that nobody but Durant and his business manager Rich Kleiman know.”
Kleiman might not even be informed of Durant’s plans, as the manager recently told the Wall Street Journal that he’s still waiting for word from his client. Durant probably shouldn’t be in any rush to make a decision anyway, and it might be in his best interest to watch how things play out with fellow marquee free agents in the offseason.
If Stein’s report is true, the Durant sweepstakes will be a two-horse race between the pair of franchises with the most salary cap space this summer. If winning is a priority in Durant’s decision, the Clippers would have a leg up in that regard. Not to mention, KD would be able to recruit another superstar to join him in Los Angeles — maybe even Kyrie Irving.
The Clippers impressed this season, going 14 games above .500 to earn the eighth seed in the Western Conference. Hell, they even took Durant’s Warriors to a sixth game in the first round of the playoffs. With the league, and especially the West, expected to be shaken up this summer, the Clippers quickly could become a legitimate title contender with a successful offseason.
