NBA free agency: Heat, Warriors most likely to steal Kevin Durant
By John Buhler
If Kevin Durant leaves the Oklahoma City Thunder, the two teams that might have the best odds to sign him are the Miami Heat and the Golden State Warriors.
According to Erik Horne of The Oklahoman, the two teams that have the best chance to sign soon-to-be free agent small forward Kevin Durant away from the Oklahoma City Thunder are the Miami Heat and the Golden State Warriors.
One of Durant’s agents at Roc Nation spoke to Horne in anonymity about his client’s upcoming free agency phenomenon, stating, “So Golden State and Miami become the only real players. It’s too hard to justify a move to Los Angeles [Lakers] or New York because they are not close to winning. Houston’s out.”
Durant has been almost lustful for what the Warriors have going for them in the Bay Area. He likes the potential financial opportunities of Silicon Valley after his playing career comes to an end. With the Warriors, Durant would be in the same starting lineup with three other All-NBA players: point guard and reigning unanimous MVP Stephen Curry, shooting guard Klay Thompson and power forward Draymond Green.
While Miami doesn’t have as fearsome of a roster as either Oklahoma City or Golden State, the Heat do have an outstanding basketball culture in place by team president Pat Riley. Riley is second to no one in getting a great supporting cast to appease the star players on the Heat.
Miami plays in the Eastern Conference and thus has an easier path to the NBA Finals. With the Heat, Durant would just have to figure out how to beat LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers and maybe a championship caliber Indiana Pacers team behind All-Star swingman Paul George.
This is good news for the Heat and the Warriors, and not horrible news for the Thunder, as the San Antonio Spurs have fallen back in the Durant sweepstakes, and of course it’s awful news for the Knicks, Lakers, and Rockets, but they had to know that Durant wasn’t coming to them anyway.
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