The NBA Free Agency intrigue on Kevin Durant's team destination continues even through the playoffs.
At the start of this current season, the Washington Wizards were penciled in as the team that can steal Durant from the clutches of the Oklahoma City Thunder as they have one factor that no other team can have: The hometown factor.
This factor compelled LeBron James to leave his multi-titled situation with the Miami Heat to go back to Cleveland. Of course, James waited for the team to have the chance to become competitive again courtesy of first overall picks.
The Wizards were competitive at the end of last season but for the current one, they failed to make the playoffs. But the hometown factor is not their only ace in the hole-the Wizards hired Scott Brooks, KD's former coach who still remains close to him.
So there's a chance that the Wizards can still sway the former MVP?
The answer is "NO" as stated by Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports. First, he tackled the hometown factor which could actually work against the Wizards than for them.
"Durant isn't bound for Washington, friends say, because ... it's Washington, it's home, and, like so many athletes, Durant isn't all that keen on returning to play in the city in which he grew up," Mannix declared. "Friends, family - some real, some claiming to be - all come out of the woodwork in those situations, and Durant, who has tightened his inner circle considerably in recent years, isn't interested in dealing with them."
Mannix cited real experience to strengthen his claim. "His lone trip to D.C. this season was stressful, league sources told The Vertical, reinforcing to friends that wherever Durant signs next summer, Washington won't be it."
For the Scott Brooks factor, Mannix just can't see how Durant will make his choice based on where Brooks will coach. As he stated, Durant still respects his former coach and maintains a good relationship, but for KD to drop everything just to follow Brooks when he has virtually the entire league to choose from is just far-fetched.
To be fair, Mannix is not criticizing the Brooks hire as he stated that Brooks is "still the best man for the job." He has shown that he can develop stars simultaneously and has led them to the NBA Finals which is no small feat.
On their part, the Wizards also stated that they hired Brooks to improve their chances to win a championship, not just to lure Durant. John Wall, the team's superstar point guard bluntly corrected the notion on the Washington Post.
"We signed Scotty Brooks to win an NBA championship," Wall said. "We didn't sign Scotty Brooks to say, 'Okay, Scotty, go get him. You got to bring us Kevin Durant.' We got Scotty Brooks because we feel like he can help John Wall and make him a better player and make our team get to the next step. We didn't get Scotty Brooks just to get Kevin Durant."