Speak now, or we are headed to the Hamptons.
Yes, this week brought news that the most highly anticipated free agency since… well… since that LeBron James guy, will be centered on the South Fork of Long Island. (Good luck to all the potential suitors in navigating the LIRR.) It’s appropriate, truly, because what better place than the Hamptons to kick off the extravagant, opulent, decadent money fight that is NBA free agency. And make no mistake, even though the process starts at the stroke of midnight, things won’t really be underway until Kevin Durant makes his choice. Once the decision comes down, backup plans will be put quickly in motion, but right now?
All you need is $26 million in cap space, and a dream.
You can hardly blame any organization for holding out hope, given that Durant has played the process so close to the vest. The nine-year veteran has stayed silent, refusing to feed the media beast with even the slightest inkling about where he’s leaning. And so naturally, in the absence of real information, pundits have filled the void with rumor, speculation, and pure guesswork. Surely, Durant’s hometown ties would make the Washington Wizards a contender! (Actually, they’re apparently not even invited to the Hamptons House Party.) Given his Los Angeles summer home, the Lakers must be in play, right? (As it turns out, no, the Clippers are more serious contenders.) And hey, if the meetings are in the Hamptons, the Knicks will certainly stop by right. Won’t they, Kevin? Don’t worry, Mr. Dolan promises to leave his kazoos at home.
Ultimately, we’ve arrived at a place where the consensus appears to be that Durant will sign a “1+1” deal to remain in Oklahoma City. Intuitively, this seems eminently reasonable, as it would allow the Thunder star to synchronize his decision with Russell Westbrook, maximize his potential earnings with the NBA salary cap set to explode, and, for now at least, remain loyal to the only franchise he’s ever known, one that was oh-so-close to finally climbing the mountain and capturing a championship this season. It all makes perfect sense… to us. We just don’t really have any idea if Durant himself sees it that way. Ultimately, how much does this outside perspective really tell us, when we’re talking about the most personal of decisions?
Don’t expect the “filling in the blanks” to stop once Durant signs his name on the dotted line either. No matter his choice, there’s a ready-made, pre-baked narrative just waiting to be applied. Golden State? Durant is championship chasing, obviously, looking to ease the pressure by surrounding himself with 73 wins worth of support. San Antonio? Clearly, KD must not be satisfied with the coaching he’s received, and yearns for Popovich’s cranky embrace. Miami? Wait… how did Pat Riley work his superstar-whispering magic yet again? And if, ultimately, he remains in Oklahoma City, it’s most certainly a testament to his loyalty, his character, his commitment to a task not yet completed.
Unless he just bolts next year, of course.
Perhaps there’s some truth to each of these ideas, to all of them. But there’s no denying that, this time every summer, it’s more than a little uncomfortable to watch a bevy of strangers judge a grown man’s decision about his own career, about where he’d like to spend years of his life. Never was this more apparent than one year ago, when DeAndre Jordan’s late change of heart set off the sort of moral panic among the chattering class that’s usually reserved for a John Wall dance or a DeMarcus Cousins tweetstorm. What about integrity?! What about honoring your word?! What about the wrath of Mark Cuban?! (Sadly, the free agency moratorium period has been reduced by a few days this year, so we’re all probably have to make do without banana boat emojis.)
Durant will be judged, undoubtedly, no matter where he heads, because that’s simply how this process works. One of the greatest myths that’s ever been written into hoops history is the idea that the LeBron backlash came because of how he handled The Decision. In reality, the city of Cleveland, and a healthy portion of the nation, would have turned on King James had he chosen Miami via television special, magazine article, press release, or smoke signal. It was never about the medium, it was about the message: Namely, the fact that we think we know better, always, than the players themselves.
It’s absurd, really, the notion of a bunch of middle-aged, out of shape, loudmouths giving advice, and even critique, to a man who’s spent his entire life honing his unique gifts, turning himself into one of the absolute best in the world at his craft, just so that he might have this opportunity. Kevin Durant is bound to make someone unhappy next week, and all that one can hope for is that he doesn’t spend a second concerning himself with the din of outside agitators. A lifetime of dedication and talent has earned him, at the very least, an unassailable right to tune us all out.
So yes, eventually, once Kevin Durant has finished giving the NBA’s best teams a tour of his solarium, and his other solarium, he’ll have to get down to the business of actually making his choice. And it’s hard to overstate just how much impact he’ll have on the league’s balance of power. Oklahoma City, Golden State, San Antonio, Miami, the LA Clippers… heck, there’s a real, rational argument to be made that the favorite for next year’s championship is, quite simply, “whichever team has Kevin Durant on it.” It’s the same sort of singular leverage that LeBron James has wielded for years, and now, it’s KD’s turn.
And when the first professional take-smith starts prattling on about how he would have handled things differently, just remember that he isn’t a superstar who can score with ruthless efficiency, guard multiple positions, and seamlessly fit himself into just about any system in the league. At 12:01 a.m July 1, the whole basketball universe begins to orbit around Kevin Durant. For the select few, in this world, who have that sort of command of their field, there’s really no wrong decision.
Just be sure to stay off the roads this weekend. You never know if Billy Joel might be in town.