NBA Rumors: Kevin Durant Breaks Silence on Free Agency; OKC Star Accepts Los Angeles Lakers Deal

By Mitch de Leon
Kevin Durant
The Kevin Durant free agency rumors now have the Los Angeles Lakers as frontrunners. Keith Allison/Flickr CC

The free agency rumors linked to Kevin Durant have tagged a number of NBA teams including the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets and New York Knicks. While the co-captain of the Russell Westbrook team kept mum on the issue, fans have been busy speculating whether or not the 2014 NBA MVP will be a teammate to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson; Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge; James Harden and Dwight Howard; or Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis. After months of silence, Durant may have finally given his answer.

Fans of the Los Angeles Lakers mourned the exit of Kobe Bryant. However, it seems that a new superstar might sign for the D'Angelo Russell team soon. Rumor has it that Kevin Durant of Oklahoma City Thunder fame is seriously considering signing with the Jordan Clarkson team. With the Black Mamba out of the roster, the Los Angeles Lakers are now in dire need of a veteran to help mentor the younger guys like Larry Nance, Jr. Is Kevin Durant the right man for the job? Is the Los Angeles Lakers the perfect destination for the 2014 NBA MVP?

The answer to both questions is yes - that is, if you ask former Los Angeles Lakers star Shaquille O'Neal. When asked of the NBA team that would have Durant in the roster next season, O'Neal did not hesitate to respond with: "The Los Angeles Lakers." Aside from the comment of the former Los Angeles Lakers star, what other signs point to the possibility of Kevin Durant wearing the purple and gold jersey soon?

One of the reasons cited for Durant's potential Los Angeles Lakers transfer is the high respect of the Oklahoma City Thunder star for Kobe Bryant. The pending free agency star has been quoted in several occasions to look up to the Black Mamba. In fact, Durant has been quoted to say that he hopes to become as great as the Los Angeles Lakers icon soon.

"The way he played, it made it seem like it was tough," shared Durant of Kobe Bryant. He added, "For him, it was pretty easy. As a player, that's what you wanted to be and that's what you wanted to do. Definitely a role model for me, myself, and all my other teammates and how he approached the game. It was on another level."

With the exit of the Black Mamba, the Los Angeles Lakers got at least $25 million in cap space. Recent reports revealed that the NBA team stands to clear roughly $60 million in salary cap in the summer. This would be worth three times more than how much they had the past year. Apart from Kevin Durant, the Los Angeles Lakers are also rumored to eye deals with Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks and Hassan Whiteside of the Miami Heat.

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