Stephen A. Smith: If Kevin Durant leaves Thunder, it'd be for Wizards
LeBron James might not be the only star who wants to return home. Stephen A. Smith said Monday that he's been told that if Kevin Durant were to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder when he becomes a free agent in 2016, the Washington Wizards would be his destination.
Durant was born and raised in Washington D.C. before being drafted in 2007 by the Seattle Supersonics, who moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. The 25-year-old has spent his entire seven-year career with the Supersonics/Thunder. While Smith said he doesn't know Durant's intentions regarding free agency, he said that one destination that may receive strong consideration is Durant's hometown.
Smith, who was speaking on ESPN 980's Inside the Locker Room, was asked who he could see competing with the Wizards for Durant's services:
“I don’t think anybody, to be quite honest with you,” Smith said. “Obviously the New York Knicks would be in the mix and what have you. But there are folks that I’ve spoken to that are relatively close to Kevin Durant that tell me if he were to decide to leave Oklahoma City, it would be for the nation’s capital. That’s the kind of dude he is. That’s a place that he would consider.
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Durant, the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player, averaged 32 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game in 2013-14. The Thunder made it to the Western Conference Finals before losing in six games to the eventual champion Spurs, while the Wizards lost in the Eastern Conference semifinals to the Pacers.
- Molly Geary
