NBA Free Agency 2016: 5 destinations for Kevin Durant
By Tom West
This summer, Kevin Durant has the potential to change the landscape of the NBA in free agency, but what teams are his most likely destinations?
Even with the regular season winding down and the playoffs approaching, there’s still a reasonable amount of the 2015-16 NBA season left. The Golden State Warriors are still on pace to break the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls’ 72-10 record and the Philadelphia 76ers are still losing constantly, so some things never change. However, in regards to the future of certain star players, there’s far more uncertainty to deal with. And one such name that will be at the forefront of everyone’s attention when free agency strikes is Kevin Durant.
Despite a heartbreaking loss to the Warriors after a 37-foot Stephen Curry game-winner and a dismal breakdown to blow a 22-point lead against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Oklahoma City Thunder are still seen as one of the top-tier championship contenders.
Durant and Russell Westbrook alone can make them a threat against anyone, and with a loaded frontcourt and improved bench from recent years, they have a great amount of firepower to challenge the best of the West.
However, if they aren’t able to cause a shocking upset and surpass the Warriors in the playoffs, what will Durant want to do when his contract expires this summer? He could move with a sign-and-trade (perhaps for another superstar like Blake Griffin, as we’ll get onto shortly) and he may decide to look around the NBA to weigh up his options.
Would he really consider the struggling Wizards just to go home to Washington? Is joining the Warriors a real possibility? Is just staying put in Oklahoma City the best option for him? We’ll get onto these ideas and a few others, to at least consider what may happen when he does start thinking about his options after the season.
One thing we know to surely be true is that Durant won’t sign with a team in a rebuilding phase. Jason McIntyre of The Big Lead spoke with The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who said that Durant doesn’t want a project; he wants to win a championship right away. Unfortunately for the likes of the Los Angeles Lakers, they won’t have much of a shot at signing him:
"Woj: Washington and the Lakers, they are not frontrunners for Kevin Durant. 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."
As an all-time great scorer already at just 27 years old, the power is in Durant’s hands for free agency. Almost every team would love to bring him onboard, but what are his best options and most likely destinations?
In no particular order, let’s get started with the homecoming theory.
Next: 5. Going back home