The biggest offseason of Kevin Durant’s life is this summer, and any move that the forward makes in his life is going to be magnified. Whether it’s the clothes that he wears, the food that he eats, and in this instance, the people that he hangs out with.
According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, Durant has been spending time this week with his former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate and current Houston Rockets guard James Harden. Of course, as news of that got out, people immediately thought that Durant had began doing his rounds in search of a destination for next season. But Stein reports that there is no intention by Durant to sign with Houston.
This Instagram post shows Durant with the staff at Lo-Lo’s Chicken & Waffles. That’s not a bad food choice by the two NBA All-Stars.
At the same time, you might think that this is tampering. I mean, free agents aren’t allowed to have contact with rival players before July 1, but the league office typically does not enforce those rules.
Stein did mention some teams that will give it a go at Durant this summer:
But Durant also is widely expected to take a handful of face-to-face recruiting meetings with a select group of interested teams, with the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs regarded by many rival executives as the two biggest threats to lure Durant away from the Thunder.
Yet numerous teams, such as the Rockets, are likely to try their luck, regardless of their slim chances. Boston Celtics All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas, for example, revealed to The Boston Globe earlier this week his fairly determined plans to try to recruit Durant to the Celtics.
While there will be a great pursuit of Durant this summer, his most likely move (and perhaps smartest) will be to stay in Oklahoma City. A 1-and-1 contract with a player option for the 2017 season makes the most sense for Durant, as he will not only be able to maximize his earnings, but also take another swing at the Warriors next season, and become a free agent with teammate Russell Westbrook.
[ESPN]
