Oh, let the games begin.
You knew it was coming. Barring an NBA title, Kevin Durant, a consensus top 3 player in the world, one of the most efficient scorers in league history and an instant franchise-changer, was going to sit down and listen. He would, at the least, listen to the many teams in the NBA that would like to throw untold buckets of money at the former MVP in an effort to convince him to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder, the team that drafted him in 2007 and the only professional team whose jersey he’s ever worn.
That time is very near, as the July 1 free agency commencement date is now less than a week away, and we know who Kevin Durant is going to listen to first.
The Thunder (naturally), Clippers, Heat, Celtics, Warriors and Spurs will all reportedly get the first crack at KD, according to the ever-reliable Adrian Wojnarowksi of Yahoo! Sports. What’s even more interesting, is the fact that Woj’s report states that Durant is expected to make his decision by July 9, which is when he leaves for a publicity tour (and, ostensibly the Olympics in Rio). That gives teams just 8 days to give it their best shot, but considering even the gaudiest free agent pitch can be made in the span of a few hours, that should be more than enough time.
It’s worth noting that Oklahoma City is widely considered to be in pole position to resign their star player to at least a 2-year deal with a 1-year opt out option, should Durant decide he’d like to be a free agent alongside his running mate, Russell Westbrook, in the summer of 2017.