Lakers, Wizards ‘Not Frontrunners’ For Kevin Durant In NBA Free Agency
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The big-name free agent that every team with cap space in the NBA will be gunning for come July is Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Durant will be this year’s prized possession in NBA free agency with some of the league’s prominent franchises already rumored to be ready to make a run at the one-time NBA MVP.
Although there will be plenty of teams reaching out to Durant this summer, a few teams may already be out of the running for his services. The Los Angeles Lakers have a franchise desperately in need of another superstar with Kobe Bryant retiring after this season and Durant fits the bill, but it appears the 16-time NBA champions may find it tough to reel him in.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, the Lakers and Washington Wizards are not at the top of Durant’s list of potential destinations in free agency. Durant is in win-now mode, and neither one of these teams is in that position via Jason McIntyre of The Big Lead:
Washington and the Lakers, they are not frontrunners for Kevin Durant. He wants to win a championship. If he leaves Oklahoma – he may end up staying there – Golden State is the team that is worrisome for Oklahoma City. That’s the team that has Kevin Durant’s attention … Kevin Durant wants to win a Championship right away. Either he wants to do that in Oklahoma City, with the group they have, or he’s going to go somewhere he can win a title right away.
It appears to be a two-team race for Durant in free agency. The Golden State Warriors are a real threat and even though it seems incredible, the team defending NBA champion have the cap space to bring in the superstar forward. Harrison Barnes will likely be headed elsewhere this summer freeing up the small forward position and giving the team some extra space to land Durant in July.
Despite the Wojnarowski’s ruling out the Lakers and Wizards, anything can happen once free agency opens this summer. Los Angeles will arguably be the most aggressive team on the market this summer and will do everything possible to land Durant. Although past attempts to sign stars haven’t gone well for the Lakers, this may be the year they can turn it around.
