Odds Favor Kevin Durant Signing With Nets 4 Days Before Free Agency

• Kevin Durant is a free agent after opting out with the Warriors and is expected to secure a max contract
• Durant will miss the entire 2019-20 season as he recovers from a ruptured Achilles
• Durant sold his Malibu home and is in New York recovering

Before Kevin Durant ruptured his Achilles in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, the odds indicted he would end up with the New York Knicks this summer. Now, nobody really knows where Durant will end up.

Whoever signs him to a max contract has to deal with the fact that he won’t play at all in the 2019-20 season. They will also have to deal with him being 32 years old and coming off a major injury when he does get back on the court. Those factors have surely shaken things up regarding his status as the NBA’s free agency period approaches on June 30th.

Kevin Durant Free Agency Odds

*Odds taken 06/27/19

The Nets have now stepped in as the favorites to sign Durant this summer. The move would make a ton of sense for the Nets. They already were the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference without him. The smart move would be to keep D’Angelo Russell and sign Durant and put together a team that can compete for a championship in 2020. If Russell goes, they would likely go after Kyrie Irving, especially considering he and KD are good friends. For Durant and for the Nets, this move makes all the sense in the world.

.@RealJayWilliams breaks down the pros and cons of Kevin Durant signing with the Brooklyn Nets: pic.twitter.com/FlFxLNLjiR

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) June 27, 2019

Knicks vs Nets?

BUT…would Durant choose the Nets over the Knicks if they both gave him the same offer? Does he like the idea of going to Brooklyn versus playing at the World’s Most Famous Arena? Right now, the Nets’ roster is in a better position to win than the Knicks are. The Nets were a playoff team while the Knicks were one of the NBA’s worst teams.

Durant buying a home in New York doesn’t exactly mean he definitely is going to play in New York, but it sure looks like it.

The Knicks have missed so many times on free agency signings. They really cannot afford to sign Durant and risk the chance of him not being the same player when he comes back. The Nets can afford taking that risk much more right now. They still are likely going to be a playoff team and can wait around a year for Durant.

The Knicks will once again be a lottery team if they sign Durant next year and try and build around him and will be all-in on him returning to one of the NBA’s top players at 32.

Here’s a look at the projected ? Kevin Durant could make with a max contract in #NBAFreeAgency. pic.twitter.com/0MwSYZERLe

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 27, 2019

The Nets are the best bet here. They are a winner already and are in a better position to win. The right move for Durant and the Nets franchise is for him to go there.

Pick: Brooklyn Nets (-150)