There’s another decision looming at the end of the 2016 season which could change the landscape of the NBA even more than when LeBron took his talents to South Beach or when Darrell Arthur exercised his player option with Denver in 2012. By the time Kevin Durant hits free agency, it’s possible he’ll be a 3-time MVP and maybe a 6 time scoring champ. Those trophies are a nice way to fill the mantle but the one piece of bling that could decide his future is a ring.
The 2016 Free Agency Class
Durant has been runner up before in 2012 when Oklahoma City lost in the NBA Finals to James’ Heat and four other times when he finished second in the MVP voting. Even with the 2016 offseason two years away, it’s well written that the then-27-year-old Durant will be the hot commodity. Depending on opt-in’s and out’s, player and team options, etc. the 2016 free agency class could legitimately include James, Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Kevin Love, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, Dirk Nowitzki, DeMar DeRozan, and Chandler Parsons among others. Teams will be scrambling to free up cap space for any one of these players and Durant will have his pick of the litter on his next destination.
To Stay With OKC?
It’s hard to tell what would make Durant want to stay more – winning or not winning? On one hand if the Thunder can finally put together the team that overcomes either the Spurs, Rockets, or Clippers among others in the West and holds off Cleveland or Chicago to capture the NBA Title that’s a situation that’s hard to leave. When LeBron left he did it to chase championships and that was the underlying overtone in courting Carmelo Anthony this past offseason – the opportunity to win now. If you’ve got the pieces in place already why not stay and become the pride of Oklahoma City basically forever and chase a few more titles while you’re at it?
Leaving the Thunder Is An Option
What happens in 2016 if Durant enters free agency still without capturing an elusive ring? Granted when Durant’s contract is up the Thunder will be able to offer him the most money of any NBA team but how important is that on the heels of reports of Under Armour offering him $280 million to leave Nike? Why would Durant stick around and keep playing out the same frustrating scenario year-after-year with the same cast of teammates, especially when he can choose his own destiny? Bringing a championship back to Madison Square Garden for the first time since 1973 makes Durant an instant contender for greatest player of all-time, legitimately. The way the NBA landscape goes however unfair it is, one Knicks title is more of a story than four Spurs rings. Durant could also go back home to Washington and play with the young backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal or Jay-Z could persuade him to go to Brooklyn, since he is represented by Roc Nation Sports.
Whatever happens in 2016, the real winners are the NBA – where the offseason is more must-watch TV than the regular season.
Ron Leyba is the content manager of Fantasy Basketball Money Leagues – premier source of fantasy basketball updates, rankings and rumors. For more of his fantasy basketball updates, follow Fantasy Basketball Money Leagues Google+ account.