Rumor: Clippers May Pursue Durant Despite Leg Injury

Despite likely missing next season, the LA Clippers are one of the teams still expected to pursue Kevin Durant should he hit free agency.

Game 5 of the NBA Finals was a fabulous game that was overshadowed by Kevin Durant‘s re-injury of his lower right leg. The details of the injury point at an Achilles tear and three teams, including the LA Clippers, may still go after Durant in free agency.

Kevin Durant has been a menace in the NBA since he stepped foot on professional hardwood but his career may be taking a turn for the worst after a gruesome lower right leg injury in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors.

Warriors GM Bob Myers spoke as best as he could following the Warriors one-point victory about Durant’s injury.

Through the MRI, Durant was diagnosed with a right Achilles injury and was flown out to New York (no jokes please) for further evaluation.

The injury has changed the landscape of 2019 free agency with both LA and New York teams feeling the effects of the injury and their plans for the offseason.

Despite the injury though, front office insider Bobby Marks spoke on ESPN’s Get Up!  about Kevin Durant’s impending free agency and what it could do to the free agent market.

"“I said … If you had cap space, would you go out and sign Kevin Durant knowing that he will likely be out maybe the whole year? And the resounding answer was ‘yes.’ Each of the teams also said that they wouldn’t even put any injury language in there for maybe years three and four to protect. So, yes, there will be a marketplace for Kevin Durant this summer, either with a team for four years, $141 million dollars or even back in Golden State here.”"

The teams that have been linked to Durant for some time have reportedly not changed their stance on signing Durant even with his age (30 currently but 31 when the 2019-2020 season begins) and now injury history raising some serious red flags.

The Clippers, Nets and Knicks all have their eyes set on making a huge splash in free agency, the Knicks and Nets especially who may both attempt to pair KD and Kyrie together, but even the Clippers have hefty aspirations of adding both Kawhi Leonard and Durant.

Should the Clippers still pursue Durant will be a pressing question among the front office and fans alike, but here’s my take, don’t touch Durant with a 20-foot pole.

Yes, Durant when healthy may be the best player in basketball but his health will forever be tarnished with the severity of this injury. Durant in my opinion will likely opt in to his $31 million player option and head back to Golden State and have an entire season of recovery and come back when he feels 100% and test free agency in the summer of 2020. If I am the Clippers, I work on focusing on Leonard and another healthy star, maybe Jimmy Butler or Nikola Vucevic, and build from there.

This injury sent shockwaves through the NBA and will likely impact the league for the upcoming year and beyond. Best of luck to KD in his recovery process and the upcoming free agency period.