Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant wouldn't rule out the possibility of finding a new team as a free agent in 2016, telling USA Today Sports he planned to take it "day by day" until then. The Washington Wizards are considered the frontrunner for the 2014 MVP if he doesn't re-sign with the Thunder.
Durant understands the question he will hear repeatedly for the next two years, and he appears to have only one answer for it: "I don't know."
"We'll keep dancing around (the topic), and by the time it comes it's going to be even more awkward than it was, so it's not a surprise (that people ask him about it) because everybody wants to know," Durant told USA Today Sports. "But I'm taking it day by day with the Oklahoma City Thunder. That's my main concern. And whatever the future holds, I don't know, because I can't tell you the future.
"I'm going to take it a day at a time. I enjoy being here. I enjoy my teammates. I like the direction we're going in, and that's not just a cliché (expletive) answer. That's real."
The pressure is on Oklahoma City to convince Durant that remaining there beyond the 2016 is in his best interest. Thunder general manager Sam Presti's best chance of doing so is to assemble a team that helps Durant win a championship. The Thunder haven't been back to the NBA finals since the 2011-12 season, and a change at coach could be Presti's last-ditch effort to get the Thunder over the hump if the team doesn't get any closer this season to a title.
If Durant chooses to explore free agency, he would have a bevy of suitors and could practically handpick where he goes. Oklahoma City is still considered the frontrunner to land Durant, largely because of the perceived loyalty he has to the club.
If Durant ultimately does leave the Thunder, the Wizards - his hometown team - are considered the second most-likely landing spot for him.
