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Kevin Durant Rumors: Steph Curry to Visit Ex-Warriors Star Ahead of FA Decision
June 29, 2019
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry will be a part of the team's contingent during its formal free-agency meeting with Kevin Durant, according to The Athletic's Marcus Thompson II.
Thompson noted Klay Thompson is a free agent himself and rehabbing his torn ACL and thus wouldn't be on hand for the meeting, while Draymond Green already met with Durant following the NBA Finals. Thompson will teleconference in through FaceTime, however.
Thompson explained why Curry's presence could be significant in the Durant sweepstakes:
"Curry making a surprise visit to Durant seems to be a major gesture to show that he still wants Durant. Of course, Curry could be just stopping by to visit his friend and not necessarily pitching Durant, who has said he doesn't want to be recruited. But the timing of his visit certainly seems to point to Curry putting his bid in to keep Durant."
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported June 26 that Durant was opting out of his contract, setting off one of the summer's biggest bidding wars.
Even though the 10-time All-Star is likely to miss most or possibly all of the 2019-20 season with a ruptured Achilles, the injury has done nothing to dampen his value on the open market.
When free agency officially opens Sunday, Durant has the Warriors, Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks on his short list, per Wojnarowski: "There is expected to be some combination of face-to-face meetings and communications by other means with Durant and his business manager, Rich Kleiman, front-office sources told ESPN."
According to Wojnarowski and colleague Ramona Shelburne, Durant has also discussed with Kawhi Leonard potentially signing with the same team, with the Clippers and Knicks the likeliest landing spots in that scenario.
The New York Times' Marc Stein tweeted Saturday that "all indications to date suggest" Golden State will table a five-year, $221 million max contract offer. However, the Clippers "are lobbying Durant and Kawhi to team up on their side of Staples Center," per Stein.