Former MVP Kevin Durant has all the reasons to smile these past few weeks.
Despite having no rings and only an NBA Finals appearance belt to brag, Durant remains to be the prized trophy among the more than 100 free agents that most of the teams wants to get their hands on.
He is reported to meet with the Golden State Warriors on Friday morning in Hamptons on Long Island before meeting with meeting with the Los Angeles Clippers later in the day. Durant will also hold meetings with the San Antonio Spurs and the Boston Celtics the following day.
Durant, who has earlier said that he wants to be in a team that will win him a championship right away, will conclude his stay in New York with a meeting with the Miami Heat.
Prior to his weekend meetings in New York, Durant is meeting with his incumbent team Oklahoma City Thunders (OKC), which is likely to discuss the team’s direction and broader topics to meet league guidelines.
With only less than 24 hours remaining before the free agency officially begins, bookies are now predicting that the divorce between Durant and OKC is unlikely to happen.
At Bodog, the Oklahoma City Thunder remain the front-runners to re-sign the small forward with a 1/6 odds.
OKC still has all the components of a formidable team that can barge into the NBA finals and signing up for another year in Oklahoma isn’t a bad choice of Durant. Then throw the loyalty factor in the equation and you’ll find sense why Durant is likely to stay put in the team that almost gave 2015 NBA champions Golden State Warriors a run for their money.
But If – for any reason – Durant decides to split up with OKC, there is bigger chance that Durant is packing his bags to the Bay Area and play balls with Stephen Curry and the members of the Golden State Warriors (GSW). Bodog released a 4/1 odds for the Warriors.
Durant – touted as one of the league’s best wing defenders – is the missing link for GSW’s defense woes. In return, the Warriors can give Durant the best chance of getting his first ring. That being said, Golden State will have to clear the decks order to bring Durant to the Bay Area.
Of course, expect teams like San Antonio Spurs (16/1), Miami Heat (12/1), Boston Celtics (20/1) and Los Angeles Clippers (50/1) to join the fray to get Durant to their side.
Meanwhile, oddsmakers at Bodog are predicting that free-agent big man Dwight Howard will suit-up for Boston Celtics with 10/11 odds. There is a 10/1 odds that Howard will be signing-up for another year in Houston, especially since he had already declined his $23.2 million player option for next season.
Altana Hawks, which is also scheduled to meet with Howard on Friday, has 10/1 odds to get the services of Houston’s big man.
Oddmakers, on the other hand, say free-agent DeMar DeRozan sign with Toronto Raptors with a 1/15 odds.
