Kevin Durant smiles during Game 5 of the 2016 Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors. (Photo : Getty Images/Ezra Shaw)
The Los Angeles Clippers are one of six teams that Kevin Durant will give an opportunity to convince him to sign with them. However, the Oklahoma City Thunder are the favorites to re-sign their superstar forward. So besides Durant, what are the Clippers' plans this offseason?
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and head coach Doc Rivers will meet with Durant in New York City. Some sources are saying that the Clippers' trio of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan will also be present, ESPN reported.
The initial pitch to the 2014 MVP will be centered around the idea of joining them this offseason and form a "Big 4." However, it would be impossible to have them on the same roster since the Clippers will have to trade players such as J.J. Redick, C.J. Wilcox and Paul Pierce.
But they have a Plan B, which is to get Durant to consider the Clippers next offseason if he decides to sign a one-year deal with the Thunder. The NBA salary cap is projected to rise again next year and the Clippers will have a better chance to sign KD.
According to The Orange County Register, Durant signing with the Clippers is a long-shot but not impossible. They have mutual interest as the 27-year-old lives in Los Angeles in the offseason. It also shows that the Clippers have a better appeal than the Lakers.
On the other hand, Rivers and the rest of the front office need to have several backup plans for this season. The Clippers still have a competitive roster that is legitimate playoff contenders. They just got really unlucky in last season's playoffs.
Paul and Griffin suffered injuries during the 2016 Western Conference quarterfinals against the Portland Trail Blazers. They were eliminated in six games but they had a really good chance of advancing to the next round if those two players were not injured.
The Clippers have to re-sign players Jamal Crawford, Jeff Green and Austin Rivers while they might not be able to do it with Cole Aldrich and Wesley Johnson. They do not have the Bird Rights of the two players and with the rise in the salary cap, Aldrich and Johnson will ask for a pay raise the Clippers can't afford.
On the other hand, Crawford will have other suitors such as the New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat. Other free agents the Clippers can sign include Ramon Sessions, Gerald Green, Solomon Hill, Mirza Teletovic and Zaza Pachulia.
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