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Rumor: LA Clippers still a considerable suitor for Kevin Durant

By Garrett Chorpenning

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 21: Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors posts up against JaMychal Green #4 of the Los Angeles Clippers during the first quarter of Game Four of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on April 21, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 21: Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors posts up against JaMychal Green #4 of the Los Angeles Clippers during the first quarter of Game Four of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on April 21, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images) /
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The focus was on the Draft tonight, but rumors were still flying regarding free agency. According to one, the LA Clippers could still land Kevin Durant.

Amid all the craziness of the NBA Draft, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was still reporting on free agency rumors. One of them had to do with Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant, who is supposedly still one of the LA Clippers’ targets this summer.

According to Wojnarowski, the Clippers are among a list of teams that Durant will “seriously consider” this summer, in addition to the Warriors, New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets. And while none of that is necessarily a surprise, it is an important update in regards to one of LA’s top free agent targets.

Durant, a former MVP and four-time scoring champion, is not expected to play at all in the 2019-2020 NBA season as he rehabs a ruptured achilles, which he suffered in the NBA Finals. Still though, that isn’t expected to shake potential suitors away from offering Durant a max deal in free agency. Even if he doesn’t make a full recovery, Durant is still one of the game’s best players and could be considered an all-time great by the time his playing career comes to an end.

The Clippers likely still have their sights set on Kawhi Leonard, but Durant wouldn’t be a bad “consolation prize”, if you could even call him that. He doesn’t have the same two-way ability that Leonard has, and his fit not be as seamless as Leonard’s would be, but Durant is one of the most gifted scorers in the league and should continue to be a problem for opposing defenses even after he returns from his injury.

Something that’s reportedly been discussed lately in regards to Durant’s future is a “delayed sign-and-trade“, where Durant would sign a full five-year max with the Golden State Warriors (which would be worth $57 million more than it would be with another team), rehab his injury, and then work with the organization on a trade elsewhere. It’s unknown how likely that scenario is, but it remains a possibility and something to look out for if Durant does re-sign this summer.

The Knicks and Nets also pose a significant threat to the Clippers, as Durant has been in their plans for a long while now. The Nets could still pair him with Kyrie Irving, and the Knicks are projected to have more cap space this summer than any other team in the association.

Next. Kawhi Leonard likely to choose Clippers or Raptors. dark

Regardless of which players the LA Clippers do end up pursuing this summer, it seems safe to say that they’ll aim to make a significant push for Durant if they feel confident in their ability to bring him in.

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