Kevin Durant is expected to miss the 2019-20 season after he recovers from the ruptured Achilles tendon he sustained in the NBA Finals earlier this month, but that won’t prevent him from being one of the most coveted free agents in basketball this summer.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the four-time scoring champ “is planning to engage four teams in discussions” when free agency opens Sunday. Those four teams, in no particular order, are the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks and the Golden State Warriors, the team with whom he has spent the past three seasons.
Durant declined his $31.5-million player option earlier this month. He signed with the Warriors as a free agent in 2016 following a nine-season stint with the Oklahoma City Thunder franchise.
The nine-time All-NBA forward averaged a league-high 32.3 points per game in the 2019 playoffs but was only able to suit up for 12 games due to a calf injury he suffered in Golden State’s second-round series against the Houston Rockets.
Durant, who will be 32 at the start of the 2020-21 season, has averaged 25.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.4 assists with the Warriors and was named Finals MVP in 2017 and 2018.
Wojnarowski added that the Warriors are planning to offer him a max contract of $221 million over five years, while the most any other team can offer Durant is a four-year deal worth roughly $164 million.
The Nets, Knicks and Clippers have also reportedly expressed interest in meeting with Kawhi Leonard. Durant and Leonard are the consensus top two players available in what is a stacked 2019 free agent class.
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