Rumor: LA Clippers still have interest in signing Kevin Durant this summer

While the LA Clippers’ main focus still seems to be on signing Kawhi Leonard this summer, there are rumors that they’re still in the mix for Kevin Durant.

The LA Clippers have been expected to pursue both Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant for some time now, with Leonard taking precedence. However, rumors are fueling the idea that the two might be on more equal footing, as the Clippers still appear to be firmly in the mix for Durant.

On Friday afternoon, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski appeared on Get Up! to discuss the Brooklyn Nets’ deal to send Allen Crabbe to the Atlanta Hawks. Brooklyn freed up a second max slot by doing so, and they’re expected to attempt to pair Durant with Kyrie Irving this summer.

During the call, Wojnarowski stated that the Clippers are “in there for KD individually”, meaning they’re more interested in adding Durant than bringing him in with Irving as well.

It’s the first we’ve heard concrete evidence that the Clippers are interested in Durant for a while, as much of the attention has turned to Leonard while Durant has been out with an injury. It’s hard to imagine that LA would lose interest in the former MVP, but with the way Leonard has been playing lately, it makes sense why the attention would seemingly shift to the two-way star.

Leonard has been enjoying the best postseason of his career, averaging nearly 30.9 points and 9.0 rebounds across 38.9 minutes per game as of the time this was written. He’s also appeared in all 21 of the Raptors’ games to this point, which is impressive considering he didn’t play in a single back-to-back during the regular season.

Durant, on the other hand, was having a dominating postseason before he went down with a leg injury against the Houston Rockets. Though 11 games, Durant averaged 34.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists in just over 39 minutes per game. His shooting splits of .513/.416/.901 were impressive as well, considering the forward was taking nearly 22 shots per game.

While Durant is the better player, it’s hard to say for sure if he’s the better fit of the two for the LA Clippers. He’s a more gifted scorer than Leonard and is a very underrated defender, but there are questions as to whether he’d fit in with the Clippers’ gritty mentality and style of play.

If the LA Clippers do end up landing one of Durant or Leonard, they could immediately vault into title contention. But regardless of which player (if either) is playing for the Clippers next season, it’s hard to go wrong with a former MVP and scoring champion or a two-time Defensive Player of the Year.