Kevin Durant rumors: More than a third of the league could chase Durant
Now that the game’s best player, LeBron James, has committed to finishing his career in Cleveland with the Cavaliers (at least, we think so), the next superstar to have his every move scrutinized as he prepares for free agency is Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant. Durant can become a free agent in 2016 and the entire league would love to land the game’s best scorer.
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Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders believes “more than a third of the league” could clear cap space to pursue Durant in 2016.
"By the time 2016 rolls around, there could be more than a third of the league that has cleared enough cap space to make a run at Durant. Judging by their recent hiring of former Oklahoma City Thunder assistant coach Brian Keefe, another coach very close to Durant, it looks like the New York Knicks could be another team lining up to make a run at Durant. They’re poised to have plenty of cap room, and potentially two stars as they already have Carmelo Anthony locked up to a long-term deal and the space to sign another star this offseason."
Of course, the Thunder still have plenty of advantages over the other teams who pursue Durant – they already have a second star in point guard Russell Westrbook and can offer Durant more money than anyone else because they hold his bird rights.
Durant averaged 32.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 50.3% from the floor, 39.1% from beyond the arc and 87.3% from the charity stripe during the regular season. In the 2014 postseason, he averaged 29.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 46.0% from the field, 34.4.1% from beyond the arc and 81.0% from the foul line. In his career, he’s averaged 27.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 47.9% from the field, 37.7% from three and 88.2% from the field.
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