Kevin Durant Would Be Smart to Hear the Timberwolves Pitch
As the NBA Playoffs and Draft are over, we enter the free agency period. Kevin Durant is the biggest free agent to actually consider moving to another franchise in years. He would be smart to listen to a pitch from the up and coming Minnesota Timberwolves.
As we come into the free agency period of the NBA offseason, the story will be where Kevin Durant will end up signing. He has supposedly set up meetings with his current team OKC, the Spurs, Heat, Celtics, Clippers, and Warriors.
Many of these teams would have to make some moves to be able to afford Durant. He would also have to consider his fit with these teams. If Durant leaves OKC, you would have to think it would be due to him wanting the ball more. This is why I do not see teams like the Warriors, or Clippers being a good fit.
With the moves OKC made on draft night, it is most likely that Durant will return home. Moving Ibaka makes more playing time for Steven Adams and Enes Kanter. Putting Oladipo at the starting shooting guard spot gives OKC another guard that can hit a perimeter shot and a lock down defender to put on the opposing teams shooting guard, something they were missing in the Western Conference Finals when Klay Thompson led the Warriors back from defeat.
Durant should be looking at all teams in free agency that will be a good fit. Durant is living proof that you do not need a large market to be a superstar, or get superstar contracts and endorsements. Yesterday Carmelo Anthony was quoted saying he is talking to Durant while they are together for USA Basketball. You know who else is there and could be giving a nice pitch? New Minnesota Timberwolves Head Coach Tom Thibodeau, who is an assitant on the USA Basketball staff.
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Durant is going to want to be in position to win a title now. All though the young Timberwolves squad is not there yet, adding Durant as the centerpiece of their roster could be the move to put them amungst the top teams in the league. Durant is the type of player the Timberwolves are missing. A wing player who can do it all from outside shooting, to having a great first step, along with playing great defense.
Adding Durant to this team, with the young talent they have, and the top tier coaching staff being built led by Tom Thibodeau, the Timberwolves could be on track to make a run at the title for years to come.
Durant starting at small forward would allow Andrew Wiggins to go back to his normal position of shooting guard. This would put Zach Lavine as the sixth man, where he acutally could benefit the team more by adding a dangerous scorer to the second unit. Add in an athletic big like Karl-Anthony Towns, and what is there not to like.
Adding Durant would give the Timberwolves the spacing they have been looking for. He could even play stretch four in small ball lineups in which Lavine would come back in as shooting guard. Could you imagine a lineup of Rubio, Lavine, Wiggins, Durant, and Towns. I have mentioned this before and it is unfathomable.
The Timberwolves look to have around $23 million in cap space for the upcoming season. They could easily find a way to accomodate Durant.
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Again I will say this. Maybe I am being a homer, but the Timberwolves could be one of the more intriguing pitches for Kevin Durant to consider this offseason.