The OKC Thunder have Kevin Durant as the main concern in free agency next summer and in 2016 the Washington Wizards could chase him as a free agent target along with other teams in the league, but Oklahoma City likely will try to sign Durant over making a trade and this comes as Enes Kanter is expected to return, but his contract talks are going slow this summer.
Durant's future has been speculated about constantly over the past few years and with free agency on the horizon, it has cropped up again this summer. According to CBS Sports, the Miami Heat, Washington Wizards, NY Knicks, LA Lakers and Boston Celtics all could try and chase Durant next summer if he hits the free agent market. Oklahoma City likely will try and keep Durant as hard as they can, but if he wants to leave for his hometown Wizards or another team, there is not much they can do.
The team has Russell Westbrook signed for a few more years and he will need to get paid again when his contract is up. That could affect what happens to Durant, but the salary cap going up should only help the team keep their star forward. Durant said to ESPN that he is "not thinking about" free agency now and that his "sole focus" is rehabbing after dealing with foot issues this season. Durant only played in 27 games for the Thunder and that put the team out of the playoffs.
Durant is expected to be healed up by the end of the summer and depending on how his recovery goes, the Thunder could end up considering a trade down the line. The Wizards are setting up to chase Durant in free agency, while the Miami Heat are also expected to be a target. The Miami Herald reported earlier in the offseason that the main issues with Dwyane Wade stemmed from the possibility of chasing Durant in 2016. Wade signed a one year deal for $20 million and that keeps Miami in the range to try and woo Durant next summer after also signing back Goran Dragic this year.
Kanter is the main priority for the Thunder this year, as they acquired him in a trade this past season and to not want to let him go. Kanter is a restricted free agent and he has a ton of potential heading into next season, as he is just 23. According to Yahoo Sports, the Knicks and Blazers have shown some interest in Kanter this offseason, but that came ahead of signing Robin Lopez and Ed Dixon for those teams.
Kanter comes in after averaging 15 points and nearly nine rebounds in 75 games last season and those were career best numbers for the forward. Kanter likely will be part of the core going forward for Oklahoma City, as the team has Westbrook, Cameron Payne and Kyle Singler in with Durant. The team signed Singler to a free agent deal and he could be a very solid option off the bench for the Thunder this season. Everything with the Thunder leads to Durant and next summer, so keep an eye on the Wizards and Miami Heat this season.
Check here for more on Kanter and the Thunder and the future for Durant.
