2019: Kevin Durant, SF, Golden State Warriors
You were probably expecting Kawhi Leonard here, weren’t you? It’s a logical thought process, but I don’t necessarily think signing Kawhi is a “dream” at this point. The odds of that happening hardly fit in the “slim-to-none” category.
So instead, we’re rolling with Kevin Durant, one of the other current NBA players who sits firmly in the top-five tier. Can you imagine what having LeBron and KD in the same lineup would look like? The two facing off is always must-watch TV — the two together would likely result in similar, can’t-miss action.
As crazy as it seems, reading tea leaves would suggest Durant has some semblance of interest in a potential pairing.
There were rumors leading up to 2018 free agency that claimed James and Durant had texted about playing together with the Lakers (they were eventually refuted). Then, the superstar duo was recently spotted hitting the town together in Los Angeles. Finally, Durant had some glowing comments about James’ move to the West Coast:
Again, this is reading tea leaves. And yet, what else do we really have at this point? It’s what the NBA offseason is built around. It just means we’ll spend the next 11 months wondering if Durant will decide to bid farewell to the Golden State Warriors and take a trip south to the City of Angels.
Either way, it would be a dream come true for the Lakers to add Durant next offseason. Let’s just say his connection to James could make 2019 free agency very interesting.