NBA Rumors: Several Teams Have Retired In Chase For Kevin Durant

Injured or not, it remains that Kevin Durant remains an NBA star that can bounce back hard at any point. The untimely Achilles injury he suffered in the 2018-19 NBA Finals somehow altered his destiny this summer although critics feel that several teams would be willing to wait - even if he is likely to sit out the entire 2019-20 NBA season at the least.

According to the Bleache Report, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Philadelphia 76ers have reportedly backed off in their pursuit of the services of Kevin Durant. Further to the report, both teams seem bent on winning now and building on the success they had last NBA season. Of the two teams, the Clippers were widely mentioned as a team bent on trying to lure in the former NBA MVP to the fold this summer while the Sixers were minimally linked to the two-time NBA champion.

If the Clippers and Sixers are indeed out of the Kevin Durant race, the only remaining teams that could still pursue the two-time NBA Finals MVP are the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets. The Golden State Warriors remain at the top of the list, possibly with long-term plans so that they do not end up with nothing looking ahead. Much of this was discussed in a previous post.

Durant is likely to miss out the 2019-20 NBA wars and pundits feel that he is more likely to stay with the Warriors. The landscape has obviously changed for the 30-year-old forward with most NBA teams wanting to turn things around for their respective ballclubs. There are obviously plenty of scenarios for Golden State and one of them includes an alleged "delayed sign and trade" of the second overall pick of the 2007 NBA Draft.

With the race for Durant dwindling by the day, the focus has been on other top free agents. Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, and Kemba Walker are just a few of the big names this summer and several teams are expected to start pitching their (ridiculously huge) offers for upcoming free agents. However, for players like Leonard, the chances of them staying put are high.

For Kawhi Leonard, most feel that it may not make sense for him to leave the Toronto Raptors after leading them to the NBA title. Although he is expected to exercise his player option, this is seen nothing more than a necessary move for him to land a max contract. The Raptors are likely to give that to him especially after delivering the franchise's first NBA plum.