Kevin Durant is confirmed to skip the Season 2019-20 of the NBA following the injury he suffered during the 2019 NBA Finals. At the same time, KD will become a free agent and talks are afire he is not bent on returning to the Golden State Warriors. His eyes are set on New York and when he recovers, he wants to play for the Brooklyn Nets, rumors said.
Why Durant would not want to suit up for the GSW again has something to do with his ruptured Achilles. According to Fox Sports, KD is angry with the team for letting him play in Game 5. As a result, he will be forced to go on a vacation and there will be other repercussions.
One is his ability to attract super-max offers. Durant is expected to opt out of his existing deal with Golden State to negotiate for a better contract. But it's obvious that his bargaining power has been diminished by his injury woes.
In fact, the Mercury News said teams that previously have expressed interest to land Durant are now backing off. The Los Angeles Clippers and the Philadelphia 76ers have been reportedly scared off by the prospect of having to pay KD no less than $30 million for a season that the All-Star will be missing in its entirety.
And likely the same applies for the New York Knicks, also rumored as one of the teams actively courting him to make the jump, so Durant has all the reasons to put a distance between him and the Warriors.
Now if indeed it is going to be exit time for Durant as far as the GSW is concerned, which team would be getting his services next? And will this same team willing to embrace KD at his present circumstances?
That would be the Brooklyn Nets as per the report by NBC Sports, the Nets are the front-runner to sign up Durant. Joining the team makes sense for KD as it is considered as an emerging force in the Eastern Conference. Brooklyn will surely get a boost with Durant on the lineup and possibly another All-Star that would be familiar to KD.
"The Nets also have been rumored to be the favorites to sign Durant's friend and star point guard, Kyrie Irving," the same report said.
Speculations are rife that Durant and Irving are destined to be a potent tandem for the Nets. In recent weeks, numerous reports suggested that the two players have met precisely to discuss the possibility of joining forces and winning an NBA championship under the Brooklyn banner.
While it seems highly likely that the Nets are excited to have KD around regardless of his injuries, still the question remains if the team is willing to wait a full year before getting a solid return on their investment. And will the Nets wouldn't mind the over $30 million price tag of a Kevin Durant given that amount will pay for KD's forced vacation from the NBA.
