Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
There has been an upswing of rumors surrounding Kevin Durant and some of them are conflicting.
After the rumors swirled that Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook would both move to the LA Lakers as suggested by Stephen A. Smith, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders promptly shut that down
"There is nothing contained in this commentary to suggest anything of substance from Durant's side or even Westbrook's side," Kyler declared. "This commentary is simply the dream scenario from the L.A. Lakers, framed solely through the prism of the Lakers."
This sentiment dismisses the notion that there is still value on the Los Angeles being a big market and the Lakers being the league's glamor team. It could still matter to some up and coming players but not icons like Durant and Westbrook.
Kyler added: "A league source chuckled at the idea, saying if Durant and Westbrook wanted to remain together, they'd earn more staying right where they are."
If Durant really wanted to go to California, the notion brought forth that the Golden State Warriors would be the significant frontrunners as quoted by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports would be the more sensible bet. The contention is that Durant is now in win-now mode.
Durant may face criticism if he chooses to join the Warriors, although it would virtually guarantee him the title as it would constitute the union of the last two Most Valuable Player recipients.
The sad truth is that the Lakers really do not have much to offer at this point. They have young players who could be contributors but they still do not project themselves as stars.
However, there could be changes come next season. If the Lakers somehow win the lottery and get a good second tier free agent (Al Horford, Nic Batum, DeMar DeRozan), also if they get a good coach to help them make the playoffs, and if Durant did indeed sign a one-year deal and he would become a free agent again, who knows?
Those are a lot of "ifs" though, but it's all in the realm of possibility.
