Offseason Checklist: Give Kevin Durant a Blank Check

Now that the Thunder are out of the playoffs, the Kevin Durant free agency story becomes the NBA’s number one offseason talking point.

Kevin Durant is the biggest free agent since Lebron James and the “Decision.” In an offseason where the NBA salary cap goes up, many teams will be able to make a run at Durant, but what teams can actually consider themselves contenders?

The Minnesota Timberwolves will be looking to make some free agent acquisitions this offseason. All though Durant might be far fetched, with the salary cap space, the first thing the Timberwolves should do is offer Durant a max contract. Doing that can not hurt the team in anyway. If he decided to come, they would welcome him with open arms.

After this season, and multiple seasons in a row, where Durant has not achieved the ultimate goal of an NBA Championship, he will have to weigh his options going into the free agency period. Since just about any team in the NBA would offer Durant a max deal for his services, he will have to decide if he wants to give it another go in Oklahoma City or somewhere new.

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If Durant wants out of Oklahoma City, you would have to think he would want to go somewhere in which he might have a better chance at an NBA Championship. He must also think, with as talented as the Thunder are, how can they get better to take that next step? Can they even get better?

Looking across the league, I am not sure if there is a better situation for Durant to put himself in. Then being a homer, I thought of the up and coming Timberwolves. Sign Durant to a max deal, slot him in as a stretch 4 and the Timberwolves would have the best small ball lineup in the NBA.

Imagine it. Rubio, Lavine, Wiggins, Durant, and Towns. They would have the most athletic starting five in the NBA. This would put the Timberwolves in contention immediately. There is the intrigue of a young, athletic, talented roster, but will Durant want to leave his home for the frigid north?

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This lineup would be almost unguardable. This is one situation that I would love to see Durant consider. As far-fetched as it is, a Timberwolves fan can dream. It is the offseason, and with the Timberwolves not playing right now, we can only dream of things like this.