The Oklahoma City Thunder have Kevin Durant hitting free agency in 2016 and he is expected to be a free agent target for the Miami Heat, Washington Wizards and Golden State Warriors and the rest of the NBA that summer and this comes as the team is looking at Cameron Payne as a draft target, while Russell Westbrook is not likely going anywhere in a trade if OKC is afraid of losing Durant.
The Thunder are coming to a very important point in franchise history, as Durant has the chance to leave in 2016 and that could signal a major change for the team. The Thunder have brought in a new head coach in Billy Donovan and with Durant and Westbrook both needing contracts over the next few years, some hard decisions could be coming. The team has shown in the past that they are willing to pay up, but only so much as evidenced by what happened with James Harden.
While the Durant situation is not quite the same, the star forward has to be looking back at that moment as a defining decision in his first run with Oklahoma City. While it's hard for a team like OKC to sign three max players, the team found a great player in Harden in the draft and the Thunder could have made a run to the finals had they kept him. Durant will be getting huge money on the market no matter where he signs, but with Durant and Westbrook getting paid in 2016 and then in 2017, there is a chance one of both could end up elsewhere.
The Washington Wizards narrative has been getting pushed by the media quite a bit over the past couple years, as Durant is from city and could return like LeBron James did back to his home town. The Miami Heat reportedly are going to go hard after Durant and that is the reason why the team is taking a hard line with Dwyane Wade in contract talks. According to CBS Sports, the team wants to avoid "limited financial flexibility" heading into next summer, as the Heat want to try and woo Kevin Durant to sign as a free agent and they also have to sign back Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside.
The Washington Post writes that the Wizards could try a salary dump to clear enough space for a big offer for Durant and some have speculated that the Thunder could consider trading Durant if it looks like he will leave. That same logic has the team possibly considering a trade with Westbrook to ensure that Durant stays, but that could also go the other way.
The team is also reportedly interested in Cameron Payne in the draft, as the Thunder need to replace Reggie Jackson on the roster after trading him to the Pistons. According to Chad Ford at ESPN.com, there is "buzz" around draft circles that "the Thunder promised" to take Payne if he is available at number 14 in the first round. The Knicks have shown interest in Payne as well and he is considered to be a mid-round draft pick in the first.
