Chris Broussard says Durant will fly in Wednesday night for a meeting with the team and his agent on Thursday.
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After that, the five remaining teams on Durant’s list, including the Boston Celtics, will meet with him in NY over the first few days of July. The San Antonio Spurs will follow on Saturday, and the Miami Heat will get their shot on Sunday. L.A.is coming off its worst three-year stretch in franchise history, and even with Durant, the Lakers aren’t expected to compete with the Warriors and Spurs.
Kevin Durant was officially announced as part of Team USA in New York City on Monday afternoon. Durant’s emphasis on winning is understandable as the four-time scoring champion is still seeking his first championship.
However, sources close to Durant said recently that his looming free agency was incredibly stressful and distracting and that Durant isn’t overly eager to go through this again and that these meetings may be more than just going through the motions.
According to the report, the Lakers plan to sell free agents on their ability to clear as much as $60 million in cap space, giving them the possibility to sign multiple top-tier players.
The source added: “We want to pitch guys on combinations, as opposed to just one guy”.
A long-term deal for Durant makes most sense with the Thunder. However, he is likely in the same boat as Durant in that he’ll want to play for a bigger victor at age 30 after failing to get over the hump in Atlanta.
The Lakers also remain confident they’ll land a meeting. Reports have also surfaced that the Knicks and Rockets are interested in gaining a meeting with Durant.
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Durant is reportedly set to meet with the Thunder, Warriors, Celtics, Heat and Spurs once free agency begins, with Atlanta and NY on the outside hoping to get a meeting but have been neither confirmed nor denied yet. The Thunder took the Warriors to seven games in the Western Conference finals this past season, and Oklahoma City would be in a strong position to reach the NBA Finals with both Durant and Westbrook on the team.
