Kevin Durant will be a free agent this summer, and has a long, long list of suitors. Realistically, every team in the NBA should at least make a call and try to get a meeting with Durant this offseason.
A few teams that have already reportedly shown interest in Durant are the Washington Wizards, the New York Knicks, the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Los Angeles Clippers. The latest team to join the list of suitors for KD is the Memphis Grizzlies.
From Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnaroswki:
With or without Gasol, Memphis’ mandate will be unchanged: make the playoffs. They are working to keep Conley in summer free agency, with Memphis planning to be one more contender with two stars that will try to persuade Kevin Durant to make it a Big Three, league sources said. Durant’s the longest of long shots in summer, but the short-term trade deadline directives are unchanged: The Grizzlies are determined to use the trade deadline to better the roster for a playoff push.
Marc Gasol is the heart and soul of this Memphis team, and he just went down with a broken foot that will likely keep him out throughout the rest of this season, the playoffs, and possibly even through the Olympics.
Of course, another aspect of this situation is that Mike Conley will be a free agent this offseason as well, and could decide to leave. However, if the Grizzlies got Kevin Durant to sign with them, I can’t see Conley skipping town.
Assuming Gasol comes back healthy from his injury and Conley re-signs, Memphis could be an intriguing destination for Durant. Who wouldn’t want to play with Conley and Gasol? Both are team-oriented two-way players who are among the cream of the crop at their respective positions. If I’m Durant, I’m at least listening to what Memphis has to say. Of course, so many teams are interested in acquiring his services, it’s hard to narrow it down yet. There’s also a solid chance that Durant re-ups with OKC either long-term or for one more season to match up his contract timing with Russell Westbrook’s.
