Report: Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard Discussing Ways to Play Together in Future
Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard have reportedly been discussing free agency scenarios in which they could end up playing together, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Two teams rumored to be interested in both stars, the Clippers and the Knicks, both have cap space to sign the pair of All-Star forwards to the same franchise.
Durant and Leonard are two of the most in-demand superstars who will hit the market when free agency begins on Sunday, June 30.
Durant declined his player option with the Warriors earlier this week and is planning to engage in conversations with the Clippers, Nets and Knicks along with Golden State when free agency starts. Leonard will also reportedly decline his 2019-20 player option, forgoing $21.3 million to rejoin the Raptors and opting to become an unrestricted free agent.
Leonard is reportedly believed to be seriously considering re-signing with Toronto, with the Raptors being the only team who can offer the All-Star a max contract for five years and $190 million. The Lakers also landed a meeting with Leonard, per reports, emerging as a possible destination alongside the Clippers and the Knicks. The NBA Finals MVP led Toronto to its first championship in franchise history this year after beating the Warriors in six games. Leonard led Toronto with 28.5 points per game in the Finals, shooting 47.6% from the field.
Durant's free agency came into question when the Warriors star forward ruptured his Achilles in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. The two-time Finals MVP is expected to miss the entirety of the 2019-20 season after undergoing surgery to repair the rupture on June 12. Despite Durant's inability to play next season, several teams have still reportedly expressed interest in signing the superstar to a max contract.
The Nets could conceivably also sign both players but remain focused on signing Kyrie Irving this summer, per Wojnarowski. A more likely scenario for Brooklyn would be to sign Durant and Irving together instead.
