3 best bets on Kevin Durant's next landing spot
Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant didn't mince words in describing what he was looking for in his next contract, telling Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes he wants to get "as much money" on his next deal as possible in a December podcast.
As Durant has the opportunity to opt out of his contract by season's end, something tells us it won't be as simple as sorting through the 2019-20 projected salary cap from most to least to find the forward's next destination. Here are the three best bets at where Durant ends up, with the full odds list here.
Favorite - Los Angeles Lakers (+175)
The Los Angeles Lakers are a high-risk, high-reward landing spot for Durant. A complete laundry list of narratives would ensue should he leave pro sports' most dominant team to join forces with LeBron James. But what adds another layer of intrigue to Durant's potential opt-out is what the two-time NBA champ is looking for next in his career. Dollar signs will be enticing, but he's still in win-now mode with the opportunity to build on his legacy. The endless talks of other potential star free agents like Klay Thompson and Kawhi Leonard joining the Lakers have since fizzled, and Durant makes sense as the next superstar to don purple and yellow alongside James.
Underdog - New York Knicks (+300)
The New York Knicks have been consistently linked to Durant as they bide their time in the Eastern Conference's basement in the hopes of landing a superstar. Lo and behold, the Knicks are reportedly "all-in" on landing the future Hall of Famer. Durant has more connections to New York than one would think - his business manager hails from the Big Apple, while general manager Scott Perry was a front-office executive in Seattle when the SuperSonics drafted him - and the Knicks will certainly have the cash to at least get Durant's attention. The icing on the cake? One prominent player agent told The Athletic's Frank Isola that "everyone says Knicks" in regards to the forward's next destination.
Long shot - Los Angeles Clippers (+900)
This feels like a decent price on a team that we know for certain has kept tabs on Durant - as well as Leonard - throughout the season. Though the Warriors can offer him a five-year max contract, the Clippers have oodles of cap space to work with. Durant and Leonard teaming up in L.A. and sharing an arena, and city, with James? Sign us up.
Alex Kolodziej is theScore's betting writer. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 11 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AlexKoIodziej.