Kevin Durant is not a free agent until 2016, but he is already one of the main headlines heading into the NBA offseason. Players of his caliber are always assumed to be trade bait as they enter the final year of their contract. Durant could very well find himself in the same position as Kevin Love did last year when he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers as the Minnesota Timberwolves eliminated the risk of letting the star walk away for nothing in return. While trade talk is quiet surrounding the former MVP, many teams are planning their offseason with his contract in mind for 2016.
First and foremost, Durant has not said what his free agency intentions are. He could favor staying with the Oklahoma City Thunder or he could be eyeing an exit elsewhere. Everything right now is mere speculation from "inside sources." With that in mind, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel is reporting that Durant is expected to signed with the Washington Wizards if he does leave the Thunder.
Durant heading to the Wizards is certainly nothing new. The star is a native of the Washington D.C. area which makes the move understandable. The Wizards would be able to offer him a top-dollar contract in 2016 and they have players like John Wall to make the move worth it. The report from Winderman comes after an anonymous NBA player stated the same thing when he told CBS Sports that most people in the league assume Durant is headed East for Washington.
Several teams in the league are preparing to make a run at Durant. The Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers are eyeing their spending this year in hopes of grabbing the MVP next year. If the Wizards do the same thing, it could cost them players. As of right now, Wall and Marcin Gortat are the only players truly guaranteed to be around in 2016. Bradley Beal is available for a contract extension now before becoming a restricted free agent next year. He will want a max contract. Otto Porter as team options for the next two seasons. Nene will be a free agent in 2016. In order to re-sign key players like Beal and Porter, they might not be able to get Durant as well.
Washington does not appear to be putting all of their eggs in the Durant basket. The team is eyeing key free agents like Paul Millsap, Greg Monroe and DeAndre Jordan to help with frontcourt depth next season. If they truly plan on landing Durant, they will have to be careful with which contracts they can really take on.
