Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant. (Photo : Getty Images)
Rumors are out that Kevin Durant is planning on leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder in the offseason if the team falls short of advancing in the NBA Finals this June.
If the rumors are true and with the reigning champions Golden State Warriors and five-time titlists San Antonio Spurs on the way of the Thunder for the right to represent the Western Conference in the Finals, it seems highly likely that Durant will be out of OKC by the time the 2016-2017 season starts in October.
Fox Sports reported, citing Pelicans reporter Joel Meyers, that the 2014 NBA Most Valuable Player "will leave Oklahoma City if the team doesn't make the NBA Finals this season".
There are three teams who are rumored to be the likely destinations of Durant this summer if he decides to exit the Thunder, namely the Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, and, unsurprisingly, the defending champs Warriors.
It was reported that the former Texas Longhorns standout is keen on winning the title at this stage of his career and is willing to do anything to achieve it, even if joining an already established championship squad like Golden State.
Durant is in the final year of the five-year, $89 million deal he signed with the Thunder before the 2011-2012 season, making him an unrestricted free agent when his contract expires in July.
Just recently, Durant remarked that the status of his free-agency this summer is "wide open", which means that it is not set in stone that he will come back as a member of OKC next season.
"I like the fact that our game is growing," said the 27-year-old, seven-time All-Star, as per USA Today. "That's my whole thing, just to grow the game of basketball and leave my mark on it... You could just look at it as a positive thing, that our game is growing and you can be able to do whatever you want as an owner, a (general manager), as a player, and ultimately that's what you want: to make a decision on your own and to make a decision that makes you happy."
"That makes everything just wide open at this point," he ended.
Of course, odds are that Durant will choose to stay with OKC as they could sign him with the most money. However, if the five-time All-NBA First Teamer foregoes the salary and really considers winning, then he could be running beside Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green at this time next season.
