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Warriors officially sign Kevin Durant

Team that won 73 games last regular season just added a superstar

The Golden State Warriors officially signed free agent forward Kevin Durant today. The deal is reportedly a $54 million dollar contract over two years.

A six-time All-NBA Selection (five First Team, one Second Team) and four-time single-season scoring leader, Durant was named the league MVP in 2013-14, tallying a career-best and league-leading 32.0 points per game.

Durant, 27, posted averages of 28.2 points, a career-high 8.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.18 blocks and 35.8 minutes in 72 games in 2015-16, earning his seventh consecutive NBA All-Star nod and becoming the first player to average at least 28 points, eight boards and five assists since Michael Jordan in 1988-89. The 6-9 forward led the Thunder to the Western Conference Finals for the fourth time in the last six seasons, falling to the Warriors in a hard-fought, seven-game series. Durant led all scorers in the postseason with 28.4 points to go with 7.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 40.3 minutes over 18 games.

A nine-year NBA veteran, Durant owns averages of 27.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.21 steals, 1.00 blocks and 37.8 minutes in 641 games (all starts) with the Thunder. Durant ranks as the Thunder franchise’s all-time leader in free throws (4,599) and three-point field goals (1,143) while ranking second in scoring (17,566), third in field goals made (5,912), fourth in rebounds (4,518), fourth in blocks (639), fourth in minutes (24,208), sixth in games played (641), seventh in assists (2,363) and eighth in steals (774).

The Washington, D.C., native has shot better than 50 percent from the field in each of the last four seasons and owns career percentages of 48.3 percent from the field, 38.0 percent from three-point range and 88.2 percent from the free throw line. In 2012-13, Durant became the sixth player in NBA history to qualify for the league minimums in the 50/40/90 club (hit at least 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three and 90 percent from the line), a group that was joined by Stephen Curry in 2015-16.

Originally selected by the Seattle SuperSonics with the second overall pick in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft, Durant captured Rookie of the Year honors in Seattle in 2007-08 before the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City. In his lone collegiate season at the University of Texas in 2006-07, Durant was named the National Player of the Year and earned the Adolph Rupp Trophy, Naismith Award and Wooden Award, becoming the first-ever freshman in NCAA history to win any of those awards.

Durant will wear #35 for the Warriors.

Clippers trying hard to land Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant’s Thunder were one win away from reaching the 2016 NBA Finals. This offseason, they traded their starting power forward Serge Ibaka away for a starting shooting guard (Victor Oladipo) and some depth. So, Durant should stick with OKC, right? That’s what’s expected to happen. But Durant is taking meetings with other squads. Here’s ESPN.com reporting:

Kevin Durant and the Los Angeles Clippers met for approximately four hours Friday night in the Hamptons, and sources close to the situation say Durant was “blown away” by the Clippers’ presentation.

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, president Doc Rivers, executive vice president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan were present at the meeting.

According to a source, Durant was incredibly impressed by the vision and direction of the Clippers and made a strong connection with those at the meeting.

Chris Paul did not make it to the meeting but spoke to Durant beforehand and made his pitch over the phone; the two have talked throughout the process, including last week, sources told ESPN.

Expect Celtics to chase Kevin Durant

Every team in the league would love to add a star like Kevin Durant. And although the assumption is still that he’ll remain with the Thunder, there’s no guarantee that he’ll do so. And even if he plans to stay, it makes sense to hear what some other teams have to say. It doesn’t really make sense for him to jump to a team that would blatantly be worse than the Thunder, but what if some good teams find a way to add him and another difference-making star? I still think Durant winds up sticking with OKC. Anyway, here’s the ESPN Boston blog reporting:

If Boston Celtics fans were disappointed with the lack of a big-splash trade on draft night, it was maybe for this reason only: By not adding more established NBA talent, the Celtics seemingly failed to bolster their recruiting pitch for potential free agents looking for a surefire championship contender.

But make no mistake, there’s no shortage of positives surrounding this Celtics team. And part of the reason that Boston was hesitant to make a move on draft night was to maintain the sort of financial flexibility that would allow the team to make the strongest pitch possible to free agents like Kevin Durant.

ESPN’s Marc Stein reported Saturday that the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, and incumbent Oklahoma City Thunder would be the first three teams to meet with Durant when free agency opens on July 1. The Vertical reported that Durant’s reps were working to solidify invitations from other teams, including the Celtics.

Isaiah Thomas recruiting Kevin Durant

The Celtics finished the regular season with a very impressive 48-34 record. They have excellent coaching, and players who compliment each others’ skills nicely. But that was probably their ceiling, as the current roster goes. The team is armed with a ton of draft picks, but most rookies have limited impact. Now, as for free agency, and really fun ideas and big goals, here’s the Boston Globe reporting:

Isaiah Thomas wants Kevin Durant on the Celtics

As Isaiah Thomas sat on his porch at home in Tacoma, Wash., last Monday after watching the Thunder lose Game 7 of the Western Conference finals to the Warriors, he had an idea.

The Celtics point guard knows, like everyone else, that Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant will become a free agent this summer. He also knows, like everyone else, that adding Durant to a roster would have a seismic impact.

And in that moment on that porch, be thought it might be a good time to spice up the Durant-to-Boston narrative, no matter how unlikely a prospect it might be. So he grabbed his iPhone, opened Twitter, and posted Durant’s No. 35 next to a green shamrock. It was simple, but not especially subtle.

“I just wanted the world to know, that’s who I’m trying to get,” Thomas said.

On Kevin Durant free agency

Will Kevin Durant stick with the OKC Thunder? If we had to guess, yes, he probably will. The team was just one win away, in an insanely competitive Western conference, from reaching the 2016 NBA Finals. How many better situations for Durant are there in the league? Very few. And on this topic, here’s the Oklahoman reporting:

As Nick Collison said in his exit interview, there’s no selling Kevin Durant on the Thunder. No recruiting pitch needed. He knows everything about the city, the organization, the team’s infrastructure and the young roster.

Perhaps he’ll take visits elsewhere, allowing him to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of staying or going. But Presti’s case has already been laid. All he needs to do is hand Durant a blank piece of paper and tell him to write his contract.

There are no assurances Durant will stay. His decision is monumental for this organization, carrying extreme ripple affects in the immediate and long term. But at this point, OKC’s front office can only sit back and wait.

Thunder coach Donovan says Kevin Durant injury is not serious

The OKC Thunder are 5-3 this season, but are currently without the services of Kevin Durant, who through eight games is averaging 28.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg and 3.0 apg. Here’s the Oklahoman reporting the latest:

Thunder coach says Kevin Durant injury is not serious

Thunder coach Billy Donovan said Thursday that Kevin Durant’s injury is “nothing too serious” and that Durant hasn’t been frustrated by his latest injury setback.

On a day when Durant was not made available to the media, Donovan was asked about Durant’s mood since straining his hamstring against the Washington Wizards this week. Durant was third in the league in scoring (28.1 points per game) before the strain, which will keep him sidelined at least 7-10 days.

Kevin Durant nursing a sore left wrist

Here’s the Oklahoman with a report on Thunder forward Kevin Durant, who is banged up but should be OK soon — perhaps today:

After a rough fall in Saturday’s win against Milwaukee, Kevin Durant missed practice the past couple of days, nursing his sore left wrist.

Durant did some light shooting, according to coach Scott Brooks, but his status for Tuesday’s game at Memphis remains up in the air.

“We’ll see tomorrow,” Brooks said Monday.