Kevin Durant To San Antonio Spurs? Say No Go
Kevin Durant is rumored to be an offseason target for the San Antonio Spurs. This isn’t a good idea.
The Oklahoma City Thunder faced the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday in Game 1 of the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs. Kevin Durant, the “Slim Reaper” himself, made his first playoff appearance since the 2013-14 season (when he won league MVP). Durant was hurt last season and the Thunder missed the playoffs.
He dropped 23.
He yelled.
He postured.
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He was an anti-Spur.
With the NBA TV deal money set to kick in this upcoming season, teams are going to have a lot more to play with. All owners, not just the lottery teams, are excited: the salary cap is projected to be somewhere around $89 million for the 2016-17 season, which allows for the addition of a superstar player (or two, if you play your cards right), plus the addition or retention of key role players.
This means that not only can the poor get richer, but the rich can get richer too.
Durant is one of the prize plums of the coming free-agent period. This season has been particularly taxing for him, as questions continuously swirled around whether he would stay in OKC (at least for another year) or bolt for more championship-ready pastures.
How the Thunder fare in this year’s playoffs is widely considered to be the tipping point regarding Durant’s decision, which he has denied.
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Because of the combination of Durant’s star status and the increased salary cap, there will be no shortage of suitors–no matter how far-fetched–that will clamor for his services. Not that that would necessarily stop the Spurs’ Powers That Be from trying to gain one of the shiniest toys in the box. Because: media splash!
This isn’t normally the way the Spurs operate, but ’tis a new day looming in the Alamo City.
Welcome to the new NBA, where common sense among team ownership is declining at an exponential rate.
(This decline seems to be directly proportional to the technology and entertainment dollars–and mentalities–that are infiltrating the league as owners from these areas purchase teams, but I digress.)
Let’s discuss why the Slim Reaper does not need to suit up for the Silver and Black.
Next: The Ego Trap