Kawhi, KD now free to change address
Kawhi Leonard is planning meetings in Los Angeles. Kevin Durant will do the same in New York.
Those are the cities where they’ll begin free agency.
Where they will end it will finally start to get clearer soon.
NBA teams will start opening their checkbooks Sunday at 6 p.m. EDT, when the negotiating window for one of the most hotly anticipated free-agent periods begins and with more than 200 players -- including two dozen with at least one All-Star appearance -- eligible to change teams in the coming weeks.
“Some people could say, ‘Oh my God, look at all that player movement,’” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said during this past season. “On the other hand, that player movement could be very positive for a lot of teams.”
Leonard, Durant, Klay Thompson, Nikola Vucevic, Al Horford and Khris Middleton are among the top players who will be deciding whether to change addresses or not. Boston apparently knows it will be losing Kyrie Irving, because a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Saturday that fellow All-Star point guard Kemba Walker has informed the Charlotte Hornets that he’s leaving them for the Celtics. Irving’s focus is believed to be on joining the Brooklyn Nets.
No deals can be signed until July 6 because of the league’s annual moratorium, though players and teams can enter into agreements starting Sunday.
“There’s a lot of obviously decisions that will go into the summer,” Golden State guard Stephen Curry said. “And we’ll deal with those accordingly.”
Everyone will, and won’t have a choice.
Changes could shift the balance of NBA power considerably -especially if Durant leaves the Warriors and Leonard leaves the NBA champion Toronto Raptors. Durant will be pursued by the Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers along with Golden State; Leonard is likely to hear pitches from the Los Angeles Lakers, the Clippers and the Raptors.
Durant and Leonard were asked countless times this past season about their free-agent plans. Neither offered much of a hint. “I just want to play and just let people remember that I played hard at both ends of the floor, I was a winner, and that’s basically it,” Leonard said during the NBA Finals, on his way to winning his second ring and second finals MVP award. “I’m just here enjoying my dream, having fun.”
Durant won’t play next season because of a ruptured Achilles tendon. He still may command a $221 million, five-year contract from Golden State.