As free agency draws closer, rumors state that Kevin Durant could be on his way out of Golden State. But will the LA Clippers be his next team?
The beginning of free agency and the end of all the drama we’ve seen accumulate over the last several months is finally almost here. Next Sunday, all of our questions about the biggest names in basketball will begin to be answered. But until then, there will still be plenty of speculation about where those players will take their talents. One of them in question is Kevin Durant, who according to rumors, is unhappy with the Golden State Warriors. Could the LA Clippers be his next destination?
The information comes from Ric Bucher, who wrote Monday that Durant and Kyrie Irving have reportedly met twice during the last few weeks to discuss their plans ahead of free agency. The two have been linked together for some time, and there have been reports nearly all season long stating that Durant and Irving want to play their next contracts out together.
Bucher also wrote that league executives believe Durant is unhappy with the Warriors over the way he suffered his injury. There’s been plenty of speculation about the issue ever since Durant first went down, and people have questioned how involved he was in the decision for him to play.
The two are expected to team up on the Brooklyn Nets, and according to betting odds released today, they’re the new team favored to land Durant.
Of course, his situation likely won’t play out exactly as it’s expected to. There have been plenty of different rumors circulating all season long about his next destination, and he’s been linked to the LA Clippers on numerous occasions. The most likely scenario, at least for now, is the one in which he ends up in Brooklyn — but what if that changes?
As of Draft night, the LA Clippers were still firmly in the mix for Durant, according to Adrian Wojnarowski. And if Kawhi Leonard ultimately decides that Toronto is the best place for him to be, the Clippers would be wise to focus on making Durant the best pitch that they can.
LA could sign Durant to a max-level contract and allow him he needs to heal, and then make their best attempt at contending for a title while he plays out the remainder of his contract with the Clippers.
The LA Clippers’ best bet would still likely be to pursue Leonard this summer, but if he doesn’t end up back in his hometown, the Clippers could step in and try to swing Durant away from Irving and the Brooklyn Nets.