Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder is entering free agency this July, and according to a report from the Los Angeles Times, six teams have already finalized their negotiation schedules to attempt and recruit him into their clubs. Among these six teams is the LA Clippers, and they have announced who will represent the team and make the pitch.
According to the report, Durant is meeting with the LA Clippers in New York and the schedule is likely to take place the moment free agency commences on July 1 or shortly after. The team will be represented by team owner Steve Ballmer and Doc Rivers, the President of Basketball Operations and head coach of the team.
Fansided reports that there may be an interesting play if the executives bring along a player such as Chris Paul to further sell the pitch. Having Paul in the room would drive in the point of Durant's potential partnering with some of the key players and to show that the players are supporting the trade to get Durant on their side.
However, it is further stated that the only real chance the Clippers have of getting Durant is if they agree to a sign-and-trade with Blake Griffin. Gaining Durant may be a big bonus but losing Griffin will be a dangerous risk as he is one of the team's star players.
The report states that the team may need to try and focus on other selling points such as the bonuses of living in Los Angeles, the benefits of having DeAndre Jordan and how Paul could work together with Durant to open up space and give him more shots.
It is further noted that the other five teams scheduled to sell their pitch to Durant include his current team the Oklahoma City Thunder, Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics. The recently rebuilt New York Knicks are also rumored to join as a seventh team to talk to Durant.
