Kevin Durant plans on announcing his decision Sunday night via the the Instagram account of his own sports business network, “The Boardroom,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports:
Durant, an unrestricted free agent, has narrowed his next team down to four choices: the Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, and incumbent Golden State Warriors.
The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson reported on Saturday that Durant’s teammate, two-time MVP Stephen Curry, joined Warriors president Bob Myers, a recent extension recipient, in New York to pitch the future of the team to Durant and business manager Rich Kleiman.
The Warriors have the ability to offer Durant the most money possible and the greatest number of years: a max contract worth five years and $221 million.
Durant ruptured his Achilles in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals after returning from a calf injury. In Game 6, All-Star shooting guard Klay Thompson tore his ACL as the Warriors fell to the Toronto Raptors, winners of the first championship in franchise history.
Golden State plans on signing Klay Thompson to a five-year extension.
Durant also has his eyes on the Knicks, Kleiman’s favorite team growing up. Kleiman also notably — and possibly infamously — tweeted in February 2018 that he’ll “run the Knicks one day.”
Durant’s Achilles surgery was performed in New York, and he has taken residency in the Big Apple while hearing free-agent pitches.
The two-time Finals MVP could also sign with the Nets, who are committing to inking a four-year deal with soon-to-be-former Boston Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving. It was rumored throughout the past season that Durant and Irving were scheming to play with the same team together next year, using this offseason to sign with the same organization. Durant’s season-crippling Achilles injury, nonetheless, may have dashed said plans.
The Clippers have room for multiple max contract spots, and they’ll actively pursuing reigning Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard along with Jimmy Butler.
This wouldn’t be the first time Kevin Durant has taken to announcing his professional plans in his own hands. When KD signed with the Warriors in the summer of 2016, he announced so via a Players' Tribune piece entitled “My Next Chapter.” Taking to Instagram and leveraging his sports business show and platform “The Boardroom” would be the next step in Durant’s evolution as a professional athlete and businessman.
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