Wizards expected to lead the way in free agency race for Durant next summer…
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Kevin Durant returns to Washington on Wednesday night, and there will be Wizards fans at the Verizon Center ready to welcome him with jerseys with his name on.
The 26-year-old will likely test free agency in the summer of 2016, and while he has insisted so far that he hasn’t given any thought as to what he will do, the general belief is that a return home to Washington could appeal.
The Wizards are 29-13 so far this season and occupy second spot in the Eastern Conference, while Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder are starting to find their rhythm but remain outside of the playoff spots in the West with a 21-20 record.
A move to the East would certainly give Durant an easier route to the NBA Finals, but he may well decide to stay loyal to Oklahoma and remain a franchise cornerstone for years to come.
However, while both Bradley Beal and John Wall concede that there is a long way to go before talks can realistically begin, they admitted that it is fun to read the rumours and have big names linked with the franchise.
“It’s strange because he doesn’t play for us,” said Beal, according to CSNWashington.
“Who knows what he’s going to do in the next couple of years. It’s kind of weird and it’s kind of cool at the same time to imagine that, to picture that.”
“It’s funny,” Wall said of the Wizards’ jerseys with Durant’s name. “It’s something you probably wouldn’t have thought about two or three years ago of having guys or free agents thinking of wanting to come here, or fans thinking about that. It’s fun. It’s exciting. (But) it’s a long haul away.”
Durant will be expected to remain with the Thunder, but that doesn’t stop the Wizards from dreaming or the other 29 teams in the league to start preparing for a possible run at convincing Durant to start a new challenge.
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