Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant will be the most coveted free agent in the summer of 2016, and a sports insider confirmed that the former Most Valuable Player will likely sign with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Stephen Smith of ESPN said that if Durant decides to leave the Thunder, he will likely pick the Lakers over other expected suitors like the Miami Heat and the Washington Wizards.
"Regardless of how senseless it may sound, in one breath I'm hearing that if Kevin Durant doesn't stay in Oklahoma City, L.A. is his primary objective and landing spot as opposed to South Beach or even his home of Washington," Smith said on First Take.
The Lakers, who have not played in the playoffs for two consecutive seasons, have failed to land a big-name free agent over the past several years. Previous reports indicated that superstar Kobe Bryant's strong personality is one of the main reasons why the Lakers did not become an attractive landing spot for free agents.
However, Bryant, who will be playing in the 20th season of his career, recently confirmed that the upcoming 2015-16 NBA season could be the final season in the league.
But when asked about the possibility of joining the Lakers, Durant denied that he has already made a decision or has listed possible destinations in free agency next summer. The 27-year-old superstar made a strong statement, saying that Smith is lying.
"I don't talk to Stephen A. Smith at all," Durant told reporters. "Nobody in my family, my friends -- they don't talk to Stephen A Smith. So he's lying. If you ask me a question, I'll talk about them. But like I said before, I have people who I talk to about everything, and I know for a fact they didn't talk to him, so he's making up stories."
Smith responded to Durant's statement. The ESPN analyst confirmed that he has not talked to Durant and to people close to the eight-year veteran, but he maintained that he heard from his trusted sources that the former Texas standout will indeed strongly consider moving to Los Angeles next offseason.
Smith said that he will stand by his statement and also took a swipe at Durant for saying that he is lying, adding that Durant has to learn how professional sports run nowadays. The 47-year-old also reiterated that it will not stop him from reporting when he hears something about Durant's plan again in the future.
