The Oklahoma City Thunder super star Kevin Durant praised LeBron James when he returned home to play in Cleveland this summer in the free agency and commended the move as a "classy" one. Durant grew up in D.C which is the home of the Washington Wizards, drawing plenty of speculation on a possible home coming for the star forward when he becomes a free agent in the summer of 2016.
If Durant doesn't resign with the Thunder two summers from now, the Wizards have been hailed as the front runner to win his services. Count the Houston Rockets as Washington's biggest rival though as they plan to use James Harden as the lead recruiter for Durant in the free agency of 2016 according to ESPN's Marc Stein:
The Rockets are widely expected to take a step back this season, thanks to all the depth they squandered on the Bosh dice roll, but they expect to have significant salary-cap room next summer -- when they can chase point guards as accomplished as Goran Dragic and Rajon Rondo if they choose -- as well as in the summer of 2016.
Which is when, sources say, they'd like to give Harden an opportunity to serve as Houston's lead recruiter in the pursuit of a free agent named Kevin Wayne Durant.
Two summers ago, Rockets GM Daryl Morey pulled off an amazing trade for James Harden which eventually helped in landing Dwight Howard in the free agency summer of 2013. Morey has always been one to make big moves and while he missed big on Chris Bosh this summer, he will surely take another big swing at Kevin Durant two summer from now.
"We are always going to be swinging big," Morey said. "We're only about trying to win championships and how to make that happen. We take big swings at things. Obviously, it worked out the last two summers, but the only way you can land a James Harden or a Dwight Howard is by taking big swings. Sometimes, you hit. Sometimes, you miss. Bosh chose to stay in Miami, but that's not always going to be the case.
With LeBron James pretty much settled in Cleveland, the spotlight has now turned to Kevin Durant. Will he stay with the Thunder, sign with his home town team the Wizards or join his former teammate and close buddy James Harden in Houston?
If Durant fails to win an NBA championship in his last two years with Oklahoma, he may just decide to jump ship. And between the Wizards and the Rockets, the latter looks more like the better team who can give Durant the best chance of winning an NBA title based on how their current rosters are structured now.
A line-up that features James Harden, Kevin Durant and Dwight Howard is just down right scary and is arguably better than the super star tandem of LeBron James, Kevin Love, and Kyrie Irving in Cleveland.
So, in essence, the Wizards will try to convince Durant to come home while the Rockets will use Harden and his longtime friendship with the star forward to lure him to H-town.
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