Kevin Durant to Lakers: LeBron James given hope of huge move because of Klay Thompson
LEBRON JAMES and the Los Angeles Lakers may have a shot at landing Kevin Durant in the summer as the Golden State Warriors have made re-signing Klay Thompson their “priority”.
NBA: Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant discuss future at Warriors
That’s according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who suggests the Warriors are not hopeful of seeing Durant stay with them beyond this season.
July 1 is fast approaching with rumours circulating about what the top free agents will choose to do.
Durant is top of the list for several teams, with multiple reports suggesting the New York Knicks are favourites to sign him.
The Lakers too have been linked with Durant, although the LA Clippers are seemingly favoured over the storied franchise.
Golden State though will be hoping they can somehow convince both Thompson and Durant to re-sign in free agency.
Although Wojnarowski reports the Warriors will be focusing their efforts on bringing Thompson back, which could give the Lakers an open window to make an approach.
“KD is obvious,” he said on ESPN’s Get Up!
“They obviously want to keep him, they want to re-sign him.
“They’re going into a building next year.
“I don’t know if there’s a lot of talking that has to happen between the Warriors and Kevin Durant.
“He knows what it is, what he wants and there may be nothing the Warriors can do or say to change that.
“The priority for them is Klay Thompson in free agency.
"If they come with a five-year, $190 million max deal for Klay Thompson, that's done on July 1.
“He's going into the new building with Steph Curry.
"If they try to do anything less than that, you can expect Klay Thompson to be out in free agency.
“Watch not for the Lakers, then, but the Clippers."
He added: ”Internally in Golden State, there's a sense of let's try to put aside what's coming in July.
“We have a chance to do something very rare in sports, to three-peat. Let's try to keep our focus there and win the title, then let July play out the way it's going to.
“But I think the Warriors are bracing for possibly seismic change within that organisation."