Los Angeles Clippers: History of Free Agent Delusion
Kevin Durant – 2016
When the Clippers got a meeting with Kevin Durant in 2016, fans viewed it as a tip of the hat as they were in a big market and a potential title contender (with KD). Clipper fans did not expect to get KD because it meant they would probably need to trade Blake Griffin, and Kevin Durant would likely not want to be on a team without Griffin. Surprisingly, the Clippers pitched to Durant with the vision of a big four where they would trade Redick and not resign any of their free agents (Rivers, Crawford, and Johnson).
Clippers fans only began to slightly buy-in when Durant was “blown away” with the Clippers four-hour pitch. Quickly thereafter fans learned they were out of the hunt when the Clippers announced the resigning of Rivers, Johnson, and Crawford. At least they finished in third place.