Stephen A Smith - Kevin Durant favors the Lakers if he leaves OKC

Yeah, I'm not sold this happens, but it's not as simple as why would he play with a bunch of 20 year olds. Basically what real said I agree with. If these 20 year olds pan out, they become really good players on rookie deals. Then we have Lou, Bass, possibly Hibbert, and more money. Playing with a young team IF they live up to potential also means he will have guys continuing to grow and improve as he ages.

OKC is not stacked, they have a big 3 and a solid cast around them, it's just that their top 2 players are that good. Does Durant want to keep playing with Westbrook though, we don't know. Westbrook is a very ball dominant player and alpha personality, it might not work long term, and Westbrook might also move on. Durant comes here and he gets the keys to the franchise, he's a top 2 NBA talent, the fans here go crazy for him and his stardom shoots up.

He's a star for sure, and he can continue to be in OKC, but he kind of got forgotten after suffering some injuries for only one season, which is kind of silly. I doubt that happens in LA, and although he says he's happy in a small market and a low-key guy, it doesn't mean LA might not really appeal to him. Despite recent trends, I still believe taking the Lakers to a title is appealing to some players, the legacy and the history there still matter to some, as does having your jersey retired and hanging in staples center.

 

OKC made a monumental mistake in not amnestying Perkins and retaining Harden. They have been hurting (literally with their injury history) ever since. Not sure that ditching Scott Brooks for Billy Donovan will improve Durant's opinion of the FO, either.

While KD is a loyal guy I think his time there might actually be through coming up. We'll see how it all plays out of course. But the Lakers would be a great opportunity for him. I'm still not convinced that OKC is a true contender yet.

 

With Durant on our team? No I don't think we're fighting to make the Playoffs. I think with Durant on the team we're definitely a Top 4 team in the West just like OKC is except we'd be positioned to be great for years AND have extra cash to spend.

 

Well if Westbrook goes down again...

 

Or KD or Ibaka.

 

I think it would be a mistake to go after Derozan. I personally would much rather go after Harrison Barnes if he's still available then Demar. No question. Demar may be a better all around scorer but Barnes is a better outside shooter and definitely better on defense. Plus from a professional standpoint and how he carries himself in interviews Ive been impressed with that side of Harrison Barnes before he was even drafted and hearing him talk in pre-draft interviews.

 

This too is a good point. I really think a lot of this will have to do with how OKC plays this year and where they finished. If they are out in the first or 2nd round I think that boads real well for him leaving and joining another team, but if he makes it to the Finals or even Conference Finals that may be enough in his eyes especially with a rookie coach to say OKC could still win a ring.

 

The difference is Barnes is Restricted and Derozan would be opting out of a Player Option.

I like Barnes a lot, but Derozan is also a homegrown kid from USC and I think he's a pretty good fit. He's an uber-athletic scorer. I think he'd fit pretty well with what we're trying to do. An Eddie Jones-ish kind of vibe which fits with the young group that wants to run. I don't think he's a perfect fit, but after Durant and barring RFAs, he's my pick.