Oklahoma City Thunder, -350
As one would expect, given the fact that he's played all nine seasons with the franchise and has experienced success there, Oklahoma City is viewed as the favorite in the Kevin Durant Sweepstakes. Durant got along well with head coach Billy Donovan in his first season at the helm, and in point guard Russell Westbrook he plays alongside one of the sport's most dynamic players. Oklahoma City made a major move during the NBA Draft last week, sending Serge Ibaka to Orlando for players including shooting guard Victor Oladipo (who will definitely help them defensively) and a first-round draft pick in Domantas Sabonis who has the tools needed to work into the rotation as a rookie.
All of that aside, staying in Oklahoma City would afford Durant both flexibility and money that none of his other suitors can provide. The Thunder can give Durant a max salary that runs five years instead of four should he want to go that route. But there's also the possibility of Durant taking a one-year max deal with a player option on the second, thus giving him time to evaluate how the newly constructed roster works...and to also gauge Westbrook's thoughts on the franchise as he's due to be a free agent next summer. Also, the salary cap's expected to be even higher for 2017-18, meaning more money being on the table. (Getty)
Golden State Warriors, +400
Leading the way amongst teams with a scheduled meeting are the Warriors, who came back from a 3-1 series deficit to knock the Thunder out of the Western Conference Finals in seven games. Of course Golden State was on the receiving end of such a comeback in the NBA Finals, leaving a team that won 73 regular season games in search of an option (or options) who can get them back on top of the NBA. Durant would make for an intriguing addition to the rotation, with head coach Steve Kerr more than willing to play a "small" lineup with All-NBA forward Draymond Green serving as the center.
Adding Durant to a lineup that already has arguably the greatest shooting tandem in NBA history in Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, not to mention Green and Andre Iguodala, would make the Warriors even tougher to stop offensively than they already are. But, joining a loaded team could result in a backlash that approaches what LeBron James had to deal with when he left Cleveland for Miami in 2010. Golden State will have to deal with teams going after free agent forward Harrison Barnes, but landing Durant would be a clear upgrade should Barnes move on. (Getty)
With Tim Duncan's decision to retire from the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs will have a much different look when the 2016-17 season begins in late October. For the first time since the end of the 1996-97 season San Antonio will begin a season without Tim Duncan on its roster, meaning that other players will need to step into the role left vacant by the retirement of the face of the franchise.
Four starters will return from a team that won 67 games and reached the second round of the Western Conference Playoffs last season, where they were eliminated by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Guards Tony Parker and Danny Green, forwards Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge, and reserve guard Manu Ginobili are among those who will be back for the 2016-17 season in hopes of dethroning the two-time defending Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors.
But there are some holes to fill, most notably in the front court. The signing of Pau Gasol will help San Antonio account for Duncan's retirement, but they've also lost Boris Diaw, David West and Boban Marjanovic through a combination of free agent departures and trades. Click on the photo to go through the players on the 2016-17 roster for the San Antonio Spurs, and check back as Heavy will update this as the Spurs finalize the roster. NOTE: free agents Matt Bonner and Andre Miller aren't included. (Getty)
New York Knicks, +1200
Now this one's a surprise. The franchise has been incredibly bad the last couple years, with last season's 32 wins representing an improvement of 15 wins from the 2014-15 campaign. Sure the Knicks have a wise leader in team president Phil Jackson, who with 11 championships to his credit could pull off the Pat Riley trademark (put your championship rings on the table" move during a free agency meeting and command instant respect. However all of that work was done as a head coach, not as a front office executive. New York has a new head coach in Jeff Hornacek as well, and this isn't a team that lends itself to being an immediate contender at present time.
There are some positives, however. Carmelo Anthony, who's been in Durant's ear as the two are both heading to the Rio Olympics with USA Basketball, and fellow forward Kristaps Porzingis don't lack for talent. And last week the Knicks rolled the dice on Derrick Rose, trading for the one-time NBA MVP with the hope that he can stay healthy and use his contract year as motivation to return to the explosive player he was at one point in time. New York isn't one of the six teams that Durant and his representatives have scheduled a formal meeting with, but the presence of Anthony is something to keep in mind. That being said, this looks like a long shot. (Getty)
Miami Heat, +1400
Given their front office, led by Pat Riley, and the on-court product presided over by head coach Erik Spoelstra, the Heat may be the Eastern Conference team on this list best equipped to challenge Cleveland in the East next year with Durant in the fold. However, their odds are longer than those of the Knicks for the reason that they have some serious questions to answer in regards to their overall roster in free agency. Dwyane Wade, who played on a one-year, $20 million deal last season, will be a free agent as will big man Hassan Whiteside. Wade's certainly in line for money, as he should be given the fact that he's passed up money in the past to help the Heat put together rosters capable of winning championships.
But would the Heat ask Wade to do this again? And would Wade agree to such a thing? With the expanded cap adding two max contracts wouldn't be impossible. But that being said, Miami also has to address Chris Bosh's health situation, and whether or not they can afford to let Whiteside move on as well. That's a lot to consider, but with Riley and Spoelstra leading the way the Heat can't be overlooked in the race for Durant's signature. (Getty)
Boston Celtics, +1600
This will be a big summer for the Celtics, as president Danny Ainge will look to make moves that help Brad Stevens and company take the next step in the East. Thanks to savvy moves on the trade market the Celtics had eight picks in last week's NBA Draft, but without there being a true "franchise-changing" player available they're still in search of that superstar who can help them make a jump. Guard Isaiah Thomas was an all-star last season, but with Avery Bradley going down to injury during Game 1 of their series with Atlanta a team that already struggled to shoot found itself in even greater trouble.
Enter Durant, who's one of the best shooters (and overall scorers) in the NBA, and he would give the Celtics a "face of the franchise" caliber player for their head coach to utilize. Stevens is one of the top minds in basketball, and to have a player of Durant's caliber would turn Boston into a serious threat to the champion Cleveland Cavaliers in the East. (Getty)
Los Angeles Clippers, +2500
With their three best players in point guard Chris Paul, power forward Blake Griffin and center DeAndre Jordan all under contract until at least 2017 (Paul and Griffin can opt out that summer), the Clippers are an intriguing choice on this list. L.A. also has one of the top shooters in the NBA in J.J. Redick, and adding Durant to this group would give them a high level scorer who can get them as basket on all three levels. But the big question here is money, as in how much would they have to give Durant while also needing to fill out their roster?
Unless they make a major move, likely by dealing away one of their top three players, the Clippers won't have much money available to them under the cap. Paul, Griffin and Jordan account for nearly $64 million of the (projected) $94 million cap figure, and there's also the need to account for the contract of first round pick Brice Johnson. That doesn't leave much room to both reel in a max contract player and fill out the roster (Jamal Crawford and Austin Rivers are two of their free agents), which could hurt their chances of signing Durant. The Clippers would likely need a sign & trade to make this happen, making it a long shot. (Getty)
Washington Wizards, +3300
At one point in time there was serious hope in the Washington metropolitan area that Durant, who grew up in Seat Pleasant, Maryland, would return "home" and lead the Wizards to glory. People aren't as optimistic now, with the Wizards not being one of the teams to land a meeting with Durant. Even with guard Bradley Beal being a restricted free agent and the cap hold that comes as a result of that, the Wizards to have money to spend and some young talent including John Wall, Otto Porter and Beal should he re-sign.
But with just five players under contract for the 2016-17 season, the Wizards don't have much flexibility when it comes to adding a max contract while also factoring in Beal's status. Obviously getting Durant would help Washington when it comes to assessing Beal's future with the franchise, but this is a team that didn't make the playoffs last season. And with limited room to fill out the roster with players who could contribute should Durant make the move, it's tough to see his addition making them an immediate threat to the powers in the East. (Getty)
Los Angeles Lakers, +3300
Lastly there's the Lakers, the longest of shots when considering the turmoil within the front office and the poor on-court product. The Lakers, now with a new head coach in Luke Walton, won just 17 games last season as the focus was on the "Kobe Bryant Farewell Tour." D'Angelo Russell had his own issues when it came to violating the trust of teammates, and overall there isn't a whole lot to sell when it comes to the talent that's already on the roster. But the Lakers do have money and the prestige that comes with being one of sports' most storied franchises.
The negatives haven't stopped some from thinking positively about the Lakers' chances of speaking with Durant, even though they aren't one of the six teams who have been granted a meeting. L.A. will have more than $60 million available to spend this summer, making it possible for them to reel in two big-money players in hopes of turning things around immediately. But they've got a long climb in front of them, especially when considering the power at the top of the Western Conference. If anything, it will be interesting to see how the Buss family go about pitching Durant and other stars on the positives of joining the Lakers. (Getty)
Kevin Durant Free Agency Odds: Top 9 Possible Teams