Kevin Durant wants to win. As one of the five best players in the NBA, Durant doesn’t want to waste his prime on a rebuilding team that may compete for a championship in a few years if all of the pieces fall as they’re supposed to. He’s had a taste of the Finals, but never a championship, and likely has no interest in taking a step back. It’s for that reason, as Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical told Jason McIntyre of The Big Lead on FOX Sports radio, that, despite other rumors, Durant probably won’t head to the Los Angeles Lakers this summer.
“The Lakers are not front-runners for Kevin Durant, he wants to win a championship. If he leaves Oklahoma, he may end up staying there and I’ve written that. Golden State is a team that is worrisome for Oklahoma City — that’s a team that has Kevin Durant’s attention. Kevin Durant wants to win a championship right away and either he wants to do that in Oklahoma City with the group they have or he’s going to go somewhere where he can win a title right away.
“Kevin Durant doesn’t care if they have the first pick, the second pick, third pick; no free agent cares. No free agent of his stature cares what draft pick a team has because that guy is not going to help them win championships in the next two or three years. And if Kevin Durant leaves Oklahoma, he wants to be ready to win a championship right away. He’s at a point in his career where he can’t wait two or three years and hope that it happens. I think part of his criteria, sources tell me, will be, ‘Is that team good enough to beat Golden State with me on it? Or is it Golden State? Or can I stay in Oklahoma and continue to be able to do that and compete for a championship?
“Listen, I just don’t think that the Lakers are a real significant factor for Kevin Durant.”
This pretty much mirrors what everyone’s been thinking with regards to Durant. While the Lakers may have the lights and glamor of Los Angeles, that’s not going to help Durant win a title any time soon. D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle project to be a nice core, but they’re still at least three years away from even contending for a playoff spot. Why on earth would Durant want to toil away on that team while his current team stands a better chance of winning a title? As the past few free agencies have proven, the chance to win is largely more important for marquee players than the opportunity to promote or expand their brand.
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It makes sense the Warriors loom large for Durant and the Thunder, considering Kevin’s desire to win a title right away. That doesn’t make it a done deal, obviously. Durant’s desperation for a championship may not be so great that he’d abandon Russell Westbrook and all they’ve built together in Oklahoma City. This will be the most anticipated free agency since 2010, and Durant’s decision will have as much of an impact on the league as when LeBron James and Chris Bosh decided to sign with the Heat.