This will
either go down as an epic blog, because I will be totally right, or it
will disappear in a week or so once KD picks his new team and I am
wrong. Either way works for me, but I am pulling for the former,
obviously.
I
am going to visit each of the top six prospects for Mr. Durant’s
talents. I understand that the Knicks and Lakers want in, but they are
both dumpster fires, so we can ignore them. I am also aware that the
Hawks are going for him too, but they don’t have a shot either, so I am
going to pretend they are just not there (like the rest of us do).
There
is only one thing KD needs to think about when making his decision,
legacy. Winning is a huge part of that legacy, but so is the franchise
you play for, and the city you play in. The fact that the Lakers and
Knicks are not involved in the talks shows that KD has no faith that he
can win there, even though the upside for legacy in a big city is
tremendous. Being a big name in a big city on a loser team is not good
for legacy. Just ask Melo (even though he is a big reason his team
sucks, and it is not going to get any better with Rose).
Think about that……
The
Knicks could be a new “Big 3” if it weren’t for two of the three
involved. It would be more like the “Big 3rd.” That says so much about
the Knicks organization, Melo AND D Rose. It’s deafening. Can you hear
it New York? I can hear it in Silicon Valley.
The
same can be said about the Lakers and their organization, but they have
NO ONE for KD to play off of. That one makes a ton of sense. What’s the
point?
The
two biggest markets in the US, two blue bloods of The Association, and
they can’t even get a meeting. Wow. Wake up Lakers and Knicks fans, your
teams suck, out loud.
Now to the real teams, with a real shot of landing the biggest free agent in 2 whole years.
Here we go, in ascending order of likeliness:
6. Miami Heat
— With Pat Riley at the helm, I think he owes it to himself to at least
hear what the Heat have to say. This is such a strong organization and
it’s in Miami, which might be the polar opposite of Oklahoma City. KD
doesn’t seem like the type of guy that hangs out with Pitbull, and buy a
piece of the Miami Dolphins like every other celebrity in Miami kind of
guy, but I also don’t know him personally. I think we are all going to
learn a whole lot about Mr. Durant during this free-agency season.
Hopefully he won’t just wuss out and sign a one year deal.
Why it would work:
One dude, Pat Riley. He will give you a solid team every year because
he might want to win more than you do. He also understands that he needs
someone like you if he is going to win any time soon. The “one that got
away” is going to also be the “one that’s in the way” for quite some
time up in Cleveland. Miami would be a great pick, except for…..
Why it won’t work: To be blunt, he doesn’t want LeBron’s sloppy seconds.
Too blunt?
Sorry. I should have said ear muffs first. My bad.
LeBron
was just there. The bed is still warm. It would be great for an instant
rivalry (in fact, any Eastern team KD picks will lock that rivalry in
for the next 4–6 years), but it’s, as Jeff Ross says, “too soon.”
5. Los Angeles Clippers
— Luckily, LA has two teams. Same great city (depending on your
perspective), same insane exposure, and all of that on top of being one
of the best players in the game. He is already at a 9 on the NBA radar.
Signing in LA would put him out a 12 (this is out of 10, people. Just
want to make that clear).
I
mean, look at what they are doing now with LA players, every fricken
commercial has Kobe, CP3, or Griffin in it. Imagine if they were
winning? Holy crap!
Why it would work: KD and CP3 would be amazing!! I mean, F***ING AMAZING!!!! Aaaaaand that’s just about it. Don’t forget….
Why it wouldn’t work:
No more Blakey Poo if KD comes to town. Who do you have left? Dondre
Jordan? Meh. Paul Pierce? Double meh. J.J. Reddick? Solid, but how the
hell are you even going to beat your old team with this one (let alone
the Spurs and Dubs)? Remember, the Thunder have a phenomenal GM and a
fantastic head coach. You can’t go somewhere where your old team is
going to beat you, at least in the West. For that reason, I’m out (Shark
Tank style).
4. San Antonio Spurs:
I love this team. I mean, I respect this team. How can’t you? They are
always in the mix. They have clearly proven they are in the upper
echelon of NBA franchises, and any free agent would be out of their mind
to not sit down with them at least.
Why it would work:
Pop. Enough said. In fact, I would rank SAS and MIA pretty even if it
weren’t for the fact that the sheets still smell like LeBron in Miami.
The Spurs have a better coach, but the GM has done an amazing job of
restocking this team for the last 20 years. They are always contenders.
Winning a ton and being in the mix for a championship will never be an
issue. Is it a better situation than the one he is in right now? Only in
one regard, he would be the true #1 on the team, no questions asked
(offensively of course). The biggest issue with the Spurs is….
Why it wouldn’t work:
He would be going to a great team historically, but probably not better
right now, and it’s in San Antonio. It’s not a major market (like
Oklahoma City), and his legacy would be damaged by leaving one situation
for basically the same one someplace else. They are too similar, at
least at this point. Great coaches, great GMs, small markets, bleh. Why
leave? The Thunder showed the world in the playoffs that they are
serious threats to Golden State Warriors and could handle the Spurs. The
move doesn’t make sense to me at all (but it totally did BEFORE the
playoffs. Things change).
3. Golden State Warriors
— An offensive clinic every night if he came here. This is my team. I
love the Dubs, but I don’t want KD here. I think there is a lot to be
said about clear roles on a team. KD and Steph on the same team would
muddy the waters. It would be similar to KD and Westbrook, but Steph
isn’t a maniac ball hog (which works out great for Westbrook sometimes
and terribly others). It would be great for the Dubs offense, but they
would still need to address their size issue, which OKC exploited in
games 3 and 4 of the Western Conference Finals. KD is a big ol dude, but
he’s not getting in there and pulling down the rebounds like they would
need. You need a beast for that, KD is a toothpick.
Why it would work: The offense would be amazing, obviously. The Dubs play as a team, they would bring him in, adjust the offense and thrive, but…..
Why it wouldn’t work:
It’s Steph’s team. He would be coming in to a situation where the most
popular player in the team’s history is still on the team, still young,
and still the number one option. This would hurt his legacy in the long
run. Would Steph’s star shine brighter than his? There are a lot of
players on that team that don’t get the recognition they deserve for the
success of the team. How does KD deal with that? They would get some
rings, but it would almost force an asterisk to be placed next to it
*Steph carried the team, but KD got the ring. No bueno for legacy my
friend.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder
— Great team, great coach, great GM, great city? I don’t know. Never
been there, lots of tornados in the summer, small town. The only reason
to leave at this point is for legacy. They are so good right now, it’s
almost crazy to leave. I don’t really have a negative except it’s a
small town in the middle of America. The only team I see as a better
place in terms of legacy is…
1. Boston Celtics
— They have the coach, the cap space (which is good because the team is
not that great), the history in the NBA and a city that creates legends.
Why it will work:
Legacy. When KD signs with the Celtics, they become the automatic
number two in the East (sorry Heat, sorry Hawks, sorry Drake). For the
next 4–6 years it will be LeBron and KD in the Eastern Conference Finals
every stinking year. The huge difference for KD? The history of the
franchise. He is an East Coast kid. The Celtics and the Knicks control
the East Coast. The Knicks suck, and will keep sucking, so it’s Boston.
All the banners, all the history, the fans, the town. That would all be
his. The Prince of Boston? The Boss of Boston? I don’t know, that will
get figured out in a couple weeks.
They
have a smart GM, a smart coach, and they are in the weak ass East. No
more stacked Western Conference, it would be wide open, just KD and
LeBron. Two of the best players in our generation all by themselves
(seriously, sorry East fans, but its’s true).
He
would enjoy the East Coast bias, in a sports mecca, on one of the most
historically significant franchises in all of sports. He will bring them
a title, and he will be revered forever.
Legacy. Complete.
