The Washington Wizards have a lot of confidence in their roster whether it includes Paul Pierce or not. The veteran made it clear that he was no guarantee to return to the team as he is contemplating retirement following elimination from the Eastern Conference Playoffs. While rumors swirl Pierce is preparing to head west to the Los Angeles Clippers, who will Washington bring in to replace the star for the future?
The talk of Washington is not the potential retirement of Pierce. The Wizards are ok with or without him. The talk is focused around Kevin Durant as he prepares to enter the final years with the Oklahoma City Thunder. It is certainly no secret that Durant becomes a free agent in 2016 with every team in the league hoping he heads out of Oklahoma City.
According to an anonymous player via BasketballInsiders.com, Durant is likely headed to Washington once he becomes a free agent. The Western Conference player told the site, "It wouldn't be a bad idea [to join an East team]. I'm pretty sure Kevin Durant is going to start it off and go home to [the Washington Wizards in] D.C."
Take this with a grain of salt considering the players were not willing to have their names printed. However, the idea is not totally crazy. Durant is from the area as many hope he will "come home" like LeBron James. The Wizards will have the salary cap space to give Durant a max deal. John Wall has made it clear that he would be happy to recruit Durant to the Wizards. On paper, it all adds up.
There are no guarantees what Durant does in 2016. The star has remained quiet about free agency, opting to instead speak in favor the Thunder's future and new head coach Billy Donavon. Durant would be wise to maintain that idea in order to avoid any unwanted trades. The 2015-16 season could be a big factor into what Durant decides to do. If the Donovan experience works out, Durant might decide to stay put.
Wall and Marcin Gortat are the only player guaranteed to return in 2016. According to the Washington Post, the Durant pursuit could dictate the future of Bradley Beal considering he will be in search of a max contract. Otto Porter is expected to be the short-term repalcement for Pierce The team is also looking for front court help to replace the aging Nene. They have been linked to DeAndre Jordan, Marc Gasol and Greg Monroe who again, all want top money for their position. The Wizards will have a lot of contract decisions coming up as they plan to pursue one of the league's best.
