By now, the general feeling is that Kevin Durant will leave the Golden State Warriors once he hits free agency this summer, but where will the future Hall of Famer land?
The two most likely destinations—outside of a return to the Warriors, which is still possible—seem to be the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Clippers, which comes as no surprise considering that New York and Los Angeles are the two largest media markets, and because both teams will have a ton of cap room this offseason.
But which franchise represents a better landing spot for Kevin Durant?
The answer is the Clippers, and here are several reasons why:
3. The Clippers are Already a Playoff Team
I'm not sure anyone expected this to happen, but the Clippers will actually be going to the playoffs this year and have been one of the hottest teams in the league since the All-Star break.
Ironically enough, Los Angeles's recent surge began after it traded Tobias Harris at last month's deadline, which, at the time, appeared to be an indication that L.A. was essentially waving the white flag and punting to the summer.
Instead, the Clippers have actually gotten better and, somehow, have a legitimate chance of finishing the 2018-19 campaign with 50 wins. Meanwhile, the Knicks aren't even going to hit 20.
Young guys such as Montrezl Harrell and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander plus deadline acquisitions Landry Shamet and Ivica Zubac have been sensational for the Clips down the stretch, and veterans such as Lou Williams, Danilo Gallinari and Patrick Beverley have done a great job of keeping things in order.
The Clippers don't have any stars at the moment (hint, hint), but they have a whole lot of depth, and they have the cap room to absorb Durant without having to move anybody else.
If Kevin Durant joined this L.A. squad and the youngsters continue to improve, the Clippers could be a 60-win team next season.
2. Kawhi Leonard Might be Coming, Too
The general consensus is that Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard will take his talents to Hollywood this July, but not to the more glamorous team, which would be the Lakers.
No. Most feel that Leonard will be heading to the Clippers.
Imagine for a second a duo of Durant and Leonard. With LeBron James aging, KD and Kawhi could very well be the top two players in the NBA next season, and the Clips might have both of them.
That would be insane.
Again, it's not as though the Clippers would have to move much salary around to pull this off; they have enough cap space to add two max players this summer.
A duo of Durant and Leonard would be lethal on both ends of the floor; combined with versatile defenders such as Harrell and Beverley, it would be very, very difficult to score on Los Angeles.
Kevin Durant has to know in the back of his mind that Leonard could very well head to the Clippers, and I'm sure both guys will talk about what they are doing once the offseason hits.
1. The Clippers Have Jerry West
A legitimate argument can be made that Jerry West is the best executive in the history of the NBA.
He built the Shaq and Kobe Lakers. He built the Warriors. He is in the process of building a powerhouse Clippers team.
Everything this man touches turns to gold, and if Durant heads over to L.A., he will be able to trust that West will do everything in his power to ensure Durant contends for titles for the remainder of his career, or at least for however long he stays with the Clippers.
Seriously: The most important part of an organization is the people who make the decisions upstairs. Everything you see on the floor is a reflection of the commands that come from the top.
West has an essentially spotless track record as an executive, and he is already pulling the wool over other teams' eyes. Look what he did to his former Lakers club by snaring Zubac for nothing at the trade deadline. It was such a coup that West reportedly laughed at the Lakers after agreeing to the deal.
Sure, Danny Ainge may be a wizard and Pat Riley may be a G, but West somehow always manages to get his way, whether that's in free agency, trades, or the draft.
So, judging from West's history, he will probably land both Durant and Leonard this summer and have that Clippers team perennially contending for championships as long as he is a part of the front office.
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