Goodbye Haitian Barnes, Hello KD Trey 5?
New York Daily News reporter, Frank Isola has dropped some major pre-free agency information. According to the ESPN regular guest, a source told him that Kevin Durant is reportedly favoring the Golden State Warriors if he decides to leave to the Oklahoma City Thunder next month.
During the release of his new KD9 sneaker event in Austin yesterday, the former league MVP talked about his upcoming free agency and how his decision will be ultimately made on basketball, rather than money. That could be an indication that he wants to play in the best championship situation possible – as many are expecting an imminent pairing with the Golden State Warriors core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
Although the Thunder were one game away from reaching the NBA Finals a few weeks ago, the front office hasn’t been successful in landing high-end free agents or role players. Oklahoma City still has exclusive Bird-rights to offer Kevin the largest contract among any teams this summer or next year, when the salary cap surpasses $100 million; but a move to Bay Area is heating up after Golden State’s Sunday night loss to the new World Champion, Cleveland Cavaliers.
The 27-year-old, who’s represented by JAY Z’s Roc Nation Sports Agency, could be looking to finally move into a larger market, but his entire decision is based on an immediate winning situation. Following the horrendous performance of Harrison Barnes in the finals and his decline of his $64 million contract last September, Durant could immediately fill that void and take less stress off the splash brothers heading forward. Take a look at his comments from the Austin event below.
Kevin Durant on upcoming free agency:
“I just want to play again. I’m excited to play the game again. Olympics has given me the opportunity. I know how important this time is. Like I’ve been saying all season, I have people I trust. I have all the trust in the world with them that we’ll sit down and figure this thing out, figure out what’s best for me. It’s a little bit more complicated now, but it’s still a few weeks away. It’s one of those situations where you work so hard to put yourself in a situation to kind of control your own destiny. I give all the credit to how much work I put in and the people who’ve helped me put that work in. I’m worried about basketball. That’s what it is for me. It’s a basketball decision. I’m looking forward to the future.”
So, if Durant is looking to win now, this eliminates any team who’s not a current championship contender (see: Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, New York Knicks).
Let us know in the comments if you approve of this potential move.
Kevin Durant Reportedly Gives Teams List of Demands for Free Agency
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