It's the biggest thing to happen in the NBA since LeBron took his talents to South Beach with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Superstar Kevin Durant has sensationally been traded to the Washington Wizards today by Thunder general manager Sam Presti. The highly regarded GM decided to act quickly after Durant broke off contract negotiations and informed him that he would make a decision at the end of the season. Presti figured that if Durant intended to stay he would have signed an extension already and that there was a huge risk of Washington making a play for him with their cap space.
Presti copped a lot of criticism for his handling of James Harden's contract extension and his subsequent trade to Houston. He was not going to make the same mistake again with another of his prized assets. Durant only had six months left on his contract and Presti decided it was best not to wait another couple of months until the trade deadline to deal him as he would lose bargaining power. He took the initiative and contacted Wizards GM Steve Kerr earlier this week with a bombshell of a proposal. First he suggested Durant for Andrew Wiggins, Bradley Beal, Nerlens Noel and several first round picks. Kerr obviously was extremely interesting in acquiring Durant, but he knew that he could sign him for nothing at the end of the season.
Presti informed Kerr that he had received an enticing offer from Boston as well and that he better make up his mind quickly. The Celtics had apparently offered Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, Jared Sullinger and several first round picks for Durant. Kerr had a lengthy phone conversation with his boss in Qatar and eventually came back to the table with an offer of Wiggins, Beal, Noel and a first round pick for Durant. Presti seemed happy, but also wanted to offload veteran Kevin Martin and his two year contract in the deal. Kerr countered by including the expiring contracts of Alonzo Gee and Emeka Okafor and the deal was finally agreed.
It was quite a coup for the Thunder to secure three potential future all-star players in exchange for a player who could have left for nothing at the end of the season. Strangely though it appears as though both parties are pleased with the transaction after the initial shock wore off. Oklahoma City continue to be a title contender and replace the departed Durant and Harden with Wiggins and Beal respectively. They have depth on their bench now with Larry Sanders, Jeremy Lamb and Reggie Jackson and add a few years to their championship window. The Wizards land the hometown superstar who also happens to be the second best player in the world. Durant should thrive playing alongside two-time reigning MVP John Wall and dominant big man DeMarcus Cousins in Washington. Wall has been the best assist man in the league for the past two and a half seasons and should help Durant continue his scoring mastery.
Trade summary
Oklahoma City
Andrew Wiggins, Bradley Beal, Nerlens Noel, Alonzo Gee, Emeka Okafor, Wizards' 2016 first round pick
Washington
Kevin Durant, Kevin Martin, Alex Toupane, Kevin Buchanan
As much as this trade completely took everyone in the NBA by surprise, the destination was not a huge shock to anybody. Everyone knew that Durant was born and raised in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. They knew that he was coming to the end of the five year contact that he signed in 2010 and that the Wizards would have had more than enough cap room to sign him. There had been rumours floating around social media and internet forums over the past few months that Durant was certain to sign for the Wizards at the end of the season.
The Wizards have emerged in the past 18 months as a powerhouse of the NBA. They won 73 games last season, beating the 1995-96 Bulls' record. They then went on to beat Oklahoma City 4-2 in the NBA Finals. Clearly they would have been an extremely appealing destination for Durant had he been able to become a free agent.
There had always been some discussion about whether or not Durant would ever want to play for his hometown team, but it was never taken seriously because he was doing so well in Oklahoma City and the Wizards were a constant lottery team. But with Washington becoming a force in the east in the last couple of seasons the talk slowly started again. There were rumours that John Wall and Bradley Beal had conversations with Durant about joining the Wizards when they were all in New York for the All-Star game back in February. It seems now that there was some truth to those rumours.
With this deal Washington team up the leagues best scorer with a duel-reigning MVP point guard - who hands out assists for fun - and one of the most dominant offensive big man in the game. The star trio of Kevin Durant, John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins ranks up there with the two recent star threesomes that Boston and Miami put together in terms of talent. They will be helped this season mainly by veterans Kevin Martin, Pau Gasol, Eric Maynor and Shannon Brown. We can expect to see young players like Perry Jones, Ian Miller, Lucas Madsen and Alonzo Johnson get plenty of playing time in the future as well since the Wizards' depth is weakened after this trade.
It's expected that Kerr will sign a couple of veterans in the near future to improve their depth. Rumours have already begun circulating that Durant wants the Wizards to sign his former Thunder teammates Kendrick Perkins, Nick Collison and Thabo Sefolosha, who are all currently free agents. It will be interesting to see who joins the Durant revolution in Washington.
The Wizards' new Qatari owners stated their intentions to turn them into a powerhouse in the NBA both on and off the court and they may have taken a big step towards doing that with this deal. Trading three potential all-star prospects for one superstar may have cost the team significant depth, but having the world's second best player on the team will be huge for attendances and merchandising. The fact that Durant grew up in the area makes it even better for attracting new fans. Expect Durant bandwagoners to follow the Wizards now.
Some critics will say that this is a risky move to make for a team that just won a record seventy-three games. If the Wizards had preserved cap space for another season and Durant had opted to test the free agency waters, they could have signed him to a max-level contract. It may have required them to let Bradley Beal leave as a free agent, but Wiggins and Noel would have remained. Of course having Durant, Wall and Cousins taking up most of their salary cap would have caused issues for them when Noel and Wiggins were due to get paid in any case, unless their wealthy owners really wanted to put their hand in their wallet and pay major luxury tax penalties.
It is also a risk to the chemistry of a team that conquered nearly all put before it last season. This team has been led by John Wall for the last few seasons and Durant coming in could affect the hierarchy in the locker room. The loss of three of the teams stars could also have a negative effect on morale. Especially considering the bond that young players form when they come into the team together. One player who will likely be happy with this deal is young forward Perry Jones. He was Durant's teammate on the Thunder team that won the 2013 championship and the departure of Noel also gives him the opportunity to take over a starting power forward role with the Wizards.
Perhaps the biggest risk in doing this deal is the fact that Durant is in the last year of his contract. Obviously the Wizards agreed to this deal with the thought that Durant would sign an extension with them at some point in the near future. The Wizards have relied on having several talented young players on rookie contracts in the past few seasons. Now they have Durant, Wall and Cousins on max-level contracts and will face the same problems that Miami faced in filling out their roster. Expect them to become a destination for ring-chasing veterans signing cheap deals for the next few seasons.
In the last few seasons NBA fans have enjoyed the growing rivalry between LeBron James and Kevin Durant as they have been the two stand-out players in the league. For league promoters it was brilliant because LeBron was doing his thing in the eastern conference with Miami, whilst Durant tore things up in the western conference with Oklahoma City. They produced epic personal battles in the All-Star games, which made for exciting spectacles. Now though they have both left for new teams and find themselves facing off in the Southeast division with the Magic and Wizards respectively. They will also now team up at the All-Star game, instead of facing off. It will take some getting used to. At least they will play each other in more regular season games though.
This trade also continues a talent shift towards the eastern conference that has been happening in recent years. For most of the previous decade it was the western conference that dominated with teams like the Lakers, Spurs, Mavericks and Thunder leading the way. Washington and Orlando have thrust themselves out of the lottery cycle with bold moves and now each have their own superstar players and are legitimate contenders.Washington
Starters
DeMarcus Cousins - Pau Gasol - Kevin Durant - Shannon Brown - John Wall
Bench
Perry Jones - Kevin Martin - Eric Maynor - Ian Miller - Axel Toupane - Lucas Madsen - Alonzo Johnson
2014-15 Player Stats
Kevin Durant ___ 22.4 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.2 BPG ___ .509 FG, .411 3PT, .865 FT
Kevin Martin ___ 5.7 PPG, 1.1 RPG, 0.5 APG, 0.1 SPG, 0.0 BPG ___ .436 FG - .375 3PT - .862 FT
Andrew Wiggins ___ 24.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 3.1 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.7 BPG ___ .552 FG - .384 3PT - .873 FT
Bradley Beal ___ 19.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 4.1 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.3 BPG ___ .544 FG - .461 3PT - .933 FT
Nerlens Noel ___ 5.7 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.2 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.8 BPG ___ .826 FG - .000 3PT - .737 FT
Alonzo Gee ___ 8.0 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.2 SPG, 0.1 BPG ___ .531 FG - .306 3PT - .833 FT
It's the James Harden trade all over again for Oklahoma City fans. They've had to endure the heartache of having their superstar player traded away a before potentially losing him for nothing in free agency. At least this time they have been compensated much more for that loss. We all know that Sam Presti loves collecting young talent, and in Wiggins, Beal and Noel he has some extremely talented prospects. The greatness of Durant aside, some people might even claim that the Thunder are a better balanced and deeper team after this trade. Adding these youngsters to a core that still includes Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka and Larry Sanders gives them more depth and helps them continue to have a financially sustainable roster for the next few years.
To secure three high lottery picks - Wiggins (1st pick - 2014), Noel (2nd pick - 2013) and Beal (3rd pick - 2012) - the Thunder have done extremely well for a guy who only had six months left on his contract, even if his name was Kevin Durant. Wiggins has lived up to the hype so far in his NBA career. He averaged 22 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists on 59% shooting in his rookie season as he joined the great Magic Johnson as the only first overall picks to win a championship as a rookie.
There were three games in particular in which Wiggins showed glimpses of how great he could become in the future. First there was a 50 point effort at the Staples Center against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. He then dropped 44 against his hometown Raptors a few weeks later. But he saved the best for last as he managed an amazing 62 points against the Mavericks on the 1st of March. It broke not only the Wizards' all-time scoring record for a single game, but also bested Wilt Chamberlain's rookie points record from 1960. Wiggins also handled the pressure and stood up in the NBA Finals. Whilst guarding Durant he managed to keep the multiple scoring champion to under 24 points per game, while still averaging 26 a game himself. He has taken his game to another level this year by assuming the role of lead scorer on the team.
Bradley Beal has one year left one his rookie deal, whilst Wiggins has team options for the next couple of years still after only being drafted last season. This trade prepares the Thunder well for the possibility of Russell Westbrook joining his former UCLA team mate Kevin Love at the Lakers once his current deal expires in 2016. Presti lowered the wage bill - and with Reggie Jackson reportedly close to re-signing in the coming weeks - the possible loss of Westbrook in the future would be less painful. It's brilliant roster management by Presti, despite being in a difficult situation.
The athletic potential of this Thunder team is pretty amazing now. Obviously Westbrook is possibly the most explosive player in the league. Ibaka and Sanders are very mobile and energetic for big men, especially when blocking shots on the defensive end. Now they also have Wiggins, who will give Westbrook a run for his money as he is a freak athlete. Opponents will go into games against this team knowing that they will be facing a forty-eight minute onslaught of aggressive, up-tempo, end-to-end basketball.
Something else this trade does to the Thunder is it forces Westbrook to assume the role as the number one guy on the team, like many people have always said he has wanted. It will be interesting to see how he handles the extra pressure and responsibility. No doubt he'll have scoring help from Wiggins and Beal every night, making the Thunder a less predictable team offensively. The perimeter threat of that particular duo will be a real weapon for the Thunder. Beal led the league in three point shots made last season and has taken over the mantle of NBA's deadliest perimeter player from the recently retired Ray Allen.
Beal has proven in the last two seasons that he is right up there with James Harden and Klay Thompson in the discussion about who is the best shooting guard in the league. The trio seem likely to be the successors to Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade as the best scoring guards going around. Beal will have plenty of chances to showcase his talent in Oklahoma City. He should take over the starting role from Jeremy Lamb almost immediately.
One other thing that this deal does for the Thunder is it takes their defensive play to another level. We all know Ibaka is a master shot-blocker and that Westbrook can use his athleticism to hassle opponents. But now Ibaka has a partner in crime with Nerlens Noel joining him in the frontcourt. They probably won't offer too much offensively, but they won't need to with Westbrook, Wiggins, Beal, Lamb and Jackson on the team. One thing every title contender needs is strong inside defenders and now Oklahoma City have three, with Larry Sanders likely to be coming off the bench now.Oklahoma City
Starters
Nerlens Noel - Serge Ibaka - Andrew Wiggins - Bradley Beal - Russell Westbrook
Bench
Larry Sanders - Jeremy Lamb - Robin Lopez - Reggie Jackson - Alonzo Gee - Kris Joseph - Emeka Okafor
Players Details
Kevin Durant - 27 - SF - $19.32m - 1 year (97)
Kevin Martin - 32 - SG - $11.00m - 2 years (74)
Axel Toupane - 22 - SG - $547k - 1 year (64)
Kevin Buchanan - 23 - PF - $518k - 1 year (TO) (52)
Andrew Wiggins - 21 - SF - $4.15m - 1 year (2TO) (90)
Bradley Beal - 22 - SG - $5.70m - 1 year (89)
Nerlens Noel - 21 - C - $3.75m - 1 year (TO) (87)
Alonzo Gee - 28 - SF - $4.50m - 1 year (75)
Emeka Okafor - 33 - C - $3.00m - 1 year (71)
In the aftermath of such a high profile transaction the immediate questions that people are asking include: Will Durant sign an extension with the Wizards? Will the Wizards be better with Durant? Or will this bring them back to the pack?
Given their start to the season (23-2), it's hard to say that this deal will even make the Wizards a better team. So far the popular opinion is that trading three productive players for Durant is going to make the Wizards easier to guard against, with less offensive threats to cover. It also seems like trading three highly rated players all aged under 23 for a 27 year old could hurt the longevity of the Wizards' championship window.
The pressure on Durant to deliver multiple championships for the Wizards will be immense after joining a team that looked set to commence with a dynasty. He only managed to win one with the Thunder, despite four trips to the Finals. He has proved himself to be capable of leading his team to the Finals on multiple occasions though. Perhaps his offensive game will go to another level now that he will be playing with a master facility like John Wall instead of a shoot-first guard like Russell Westbrook. Wall is used to taking a back seat on the offensive end and should be a good foil for Durant. Big man DeMarcus Cousins will have to increase his scoring output now that Wiggins and Beal are gone.
Boston will be disappointed that their eleventh hour bid to acquire Durant failed. But GM Danny Ainge is allegedly targeting a big name player to fill the void left by the departures of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo in recent years. He has a roster full of young talent to use as trade bait in the same way the Rockets did to get James Harden. Rumours suggest that he may turn his attention to expiring big man Anthony Davis from the Hornets or Stephen Curry from the Warriors now.
Will this trade make the Blazers the favourites in the west with their dynamic duo of Paul George and Damian Lillard? Or will the Thunder continue their six year dominance of the conference? It will be fascinating to see how the new guys fit in with a team that is so used to winning and being on top.
Kevin Durant Career Achievements
NBA Champion (2013)
NBA Runner-Up x3 (2012, 2014, 2015)
All-Star x5 (2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015)
All-Star MVP x2 (2012, 2015)
All-NBA 1st Team x3 (2010, 2011, 2012)
NBA Rookie of the Year (2008)
All-Rookie First Team (2008)
Rookie Challenge Game MVP (2009)
NBA Scoring Champion x3 (2010, 2011, 2012)
Twitter Reaction Former Teammates Russell Westbrook @russwest44
Shocked. I will always love and respect you man. You made me better and always had my backSerge Ibaka @sergeibaka9
Shame to see you go big bro. Welcome to OKC Andrew, Bradley, Nerlens + Emeka! Exciting timesNew Teammates John Wall @John_Wall
Welcome to Wizards family KD! So excited for this new adventure with youDeMarcus Cousins @boogiecousins
Big day for Wiz. Can't wait to play with KD. Good luck to my young guys headed to okcOther NBA Players James Harden @JHarden13
That is a big move. Good luck in DC broLeBron James @KingJames
Looking forward to facing KD more often now. All-Star game gonna be insane!Kobe Bryant @kobebryant
Power shift! Haha. Reigning champs just got a whole lot scarier. OKC don't look too bad either. WowDerrick Rose @drose
That is a serious trade. So much talent out east these days. Excited to test ourselves against the Wizards this seasonMichael Beasley @easyst0
DC represent!! So excited to see my bro KD taking his talents back homeDurant himself Kevin Durant @KDTrey5
Firstly, just want to thank everyone from OKC for supporting and helping me over the years. I love you guys so muchKevin Durant @KDTrey5
To my teammates, you guys inspired me to improve every day as a person and a player. I wish you luck in the future. Keep working hardKevin Durant @KDTrey5
Thunder fans, I know that this will be hard for you guys. Just know that I always gave everything for your team and loved my time thereKevin Durant @KDTrey5
I appreciated all the support you gave me. Never stop believing in your team because it is such a great oganization. Future is brightKevin Durant @KDTrey5
Wizards team, I am very excited to join this group. You guys showed what a determined group can achieve in the Finals last yearKevin Durant @KDTrey5
Lastly and always, I want to thank God for giving my this new opportunity to play in DC. I hope to inspire people to better themselves
Twitter News Adrian Wojnarowski @WojYahooNBA
Interesting. Kevin Durant immediately signs extension with Wizards. New deal will earn him $110m over 5 yearsAdrian Wojnarowski @WojYahooNBA
Also, two of his former OKC teammates have signed with the Wizards. Nick Collison + Thabo Sefolosha join on 1 yr deals
Superstar Kevin Durant today gave his first interview after having been traded to the Washington Wizards two days ago. He sat down with ESPN's Chris Broussard to talk about the trade and his NBA career in general.
CB: Firstly, what was your reaction when you were told that you had been traded to Washington?
KD: Well man, I was pretty shocked really. You know, I put off contract talks to the end of the season because I just wanted to focus on my basketball. I truly didn't expect anything like this to happen.
But, I guess I can understand why Sam [Presti] did it. He was just looking out for his team and doing what was best for them. He always told us that no player is bigger than the team and I guess he proved that when he traded me. He must have felt that waiting until the end of the season for contract talks was too big a risk to take.
CB: So you think he didn't trust that you would re-sign with the Thunder?
KD: I feel like he should have shown more faith in me, but whatever. It is what it is now. I'm in Washington now and we all have to move on. I have no hard feelings towards him and I don't think anyone should hold a grudge against him or anything. He was in a tough position and made the call he thought was best.
CB: Is it true that you intended to sign with the Wizards as a free agent next season?
KD: To be honest, I hadn't really made my mind up. I know some people believed that I was all set to leave OKC, but I truly hadn't decided one way or the other. I was 50/50 with staying in Oklahoma City. If I had stayed and we had won a title, I'd have most likely stayed.
CB: Did you have a shortlist of teams where you would have signed, had you become a free agent?
KD: I had narrowed down to a few teams that were interesting to me if I had become a free agent, but out of respect to the Thunder and Wizards I won't name them.
CB: You signed a five year extension the day after being traded. Why so quickly?
KD: Well, as soon as I got here I received such a warm welcome. Everyone is so nice here and so professional. It made me realise why these guys had been so good last season. When you've got such a healthy environment off the court it's easy to just focus on playing good basketball and improving as a team.
I had a long conversation with Mr al-Sayed yesterday. He had flown in from Qatar to meet with me, because obviously he knew this deal was happening. He is a passionate and ambitious man and he outlined his vision for this team for the next decade or so. I was really impressed and figured that since the team was really competitive on the court and I was back living near my family again, why not set myself up in Washington for the best years of my career?
[General manager] Steve Kerr and my manager sorted out the contract overnight and I was delighted to sign it.
CB: Can you see yourself retiring with the Wizards?
KD: Haha. Well, I've only been here two days. I can't really give an answer to that right now. I just want to focus on helping my teammates improve every day and help them challenge for a title.
CB: Unfortunately your first game in a Wizards uniform didn't go according to plan. What was the experience like though?
KD: Nah man, it was a tough game. Cleveland have got two really great young guys in Kyrie [Irving] and Klay [Thompson]. I have to send a big thank you out to all the Washington fans who greeted me with open arms. On the way to the arena, during shoot around and during the game everyone was wishing me luck and welcoming me to town. It was a great feeling.
CB: You and John Wall combined for 66 of your team's 96 points against Cleveland. Is that an issue moving forward?
KD: Well, obviously the best teams share the scoring work load and have multiple guys who can hurt the opponents on the offensive end. But to be honest I'm not worried. It was my first game with these guys and we all have to make adjustments and figure out how to work well with each other. It'll take time, but I have faith that we can all get on the same page and become a great offensive team.
CB: Of course, it's only been one game, but how do you think the chemistry between yourself, John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins will go?
KD: I've seen these two guys develop into all-stars over the past few seasons and I am genuinely excited to be playing alongside them. John has won the last two MVP awards and they don't just hand those out to average players. He has evolved into one of the best facilitators in the league and I think he could help me find more shots. I like to think of him as a hybrid of Chris Paul and Russell [Westbrook]. He is super quick and athletic, which enables him to get his own shot whenever he wants. But he also loves setting up his teammates when they are in better positions.
DMC is a beast. I've played against him plenty of times and you always come away feeling battered. I've been trying to improve my own rebounding in recent seasons and it's nice to know that he will have my back in the paint to take some pressure off. I'm looking forward to working with DMC and hopefully he can set some nice screens for me [Laughs].
CB: Everyone knows you have a healthy rivalry with LeBron James. Are you looking forward to facing him and the Magic tomorrow night?
KD: [Laughs] Tomorrow night? I really need to learn the new schedule. LeBron is a great competitor and also a great friend of mine. We always enjoy playing against each other and I'm sure tomorrow night should be no different. It's going to be nice to face him four times per season now instead of two.
CB: How do you think it will feel to play on the same team as LeBron at the All-Star game?
KD: It will probably be a bit weird to begin with, but it should be awesome. We have a good rivalry which the media like to hype up. We also are good friends though. I think if we get to play on the All-Star team together it will be a tough game for the opponents. To be honest though it will be tough to even get in that team now with Melo, Jabari, LeBron and myself fighting for that starting spot.
CB: I see that your former teammates [Nick] Collison and [Thabo] Sefolosha have joined you in Washington. Was that your idea?
KD: Well I had a conversation with Steve Kerr after I arrived and he mentioned that the team would be needing to sign some guys to make up for the depth we lost in the trade. He asked me if I had anyone to recommend and I knew both Nick and Thabo were available. I gave them both a call later that day and they both seemed excited about the project and flew to D.C. last night.
It's good to have them around again. They are both great guys and I know that they will play whatever role they are given to the best of their abilities. It's actually nice having those two guys, Perry [Jones], Eric [Maynor] and obviously K-Mart who came here with me. I spent time with them in OKC and I think being together will help the team settle after this upheaval.
CB: Do you think there will be more pressure to win championships here in Washington than there was in Oklahoma City?
KD: Maybe. I mean, that OKC team grew together to be title contenders over several years and eventually became a regular visitor to the NBA finals. Here in Washington they have only been there once, even if they did win it. So we're going to have to work hard to get back to that stage. As for the pressure, well as players we don't tend to take what the media says too seriously. We know what we are capable of and won't let outsiders put limitations on us or have their expectations affect us.
CB: Do you think the Wizards are capable of winning back-to-back titles?
KD: Why not? Anything is possible with this group and that is the ultimate goal. But we can't think about that yet because it's only December and we have to take it one game at a time.
CB: You've been to the NBA Finals four times, but only won one championship. Are you desperate to get back to that stage with this team?
KD: Definitely. It's what every NBA player strives for. When your career is over you are judged by the amount of rings on your hand and I'd love to add to the one that I currently have.
CB: The Wizards beat your Thunder team to the title last season. Is it strange at all to now be part of this group?
KD: A little, I guess. Everyone has welcomed me warmly though and they are all excited about what I can bring to the group. That Finals series was one of the toughest I've ever been a part of and it gave me a great respect for this team.
CB: Obviously you became a great player with the Thunder. How do you think they will do without you?
KD: I'm sure they will be fine. Russ is one of the best players in the league and he will have them playing some great basketball. I think that Ibaka, Sanders and Noel will give most teams nightmares one the defensive end. On the other end obviously Russ will do his thing. They also have a great supporting cast with young guys like Wiggins, Beal, Lamb and Jackson. I think they will be competing with Portland to come out of the West for the next few years.
CB: Do you believe Russell [Westbrook] is capable of leading that team to a title?
KD: Yes, I do. He gets a lot of criticism in the media, unfairly I think. He is a great player and really leads by example. He's the kind of guy who will let you know if you make a mistake, but will help you learn to do it better the next time.
CB: In your opinion, who are the main contenders for the title this season?
KD: I'd like to think that we have a big chance of course. But I'd say Orlando are a big threat with LeBron and Rondo. Oklahoma City obviously. Portland have Damian Lillard and Paul George. They will be right up there. Probably Houston, San Antonio, Chicago, Cleveland, LA Clippers and Detroit are all capable of going deep into the playoffs.
CB: If the Wizards and Thunder face off for the title again, how will you handle the situation?
KD: I'd like to think that I'm professional enough to not let it affect me. I'm sure it would be strange to play against my friends in such a high pressure situation. I'm fully committed to Washington though and friendships would be forgotten during any 48 minutes on the court.
CB: Thank you for your time Kevin.
KD: My pleasure.
Lamrock wrote:Interesting trade. You may have created a dynasty in OKC. However, I know you're a KD fan and this should make this season fun for you. Get that man back to winning scoring titles!
Phil89 wrote:DeRozan plays for the Pistons now. I can see why the headline was misleading though, as he used to play on my team.
I was actually genuinely shocked at his numbers when I checked the stats after the game. I can't remember him even reaching 30 points when he used to play for me. Maybe if he had I wouldn't have traded him
Martti. wrote:I can't believe that Bobcats team is below .500. Nice little winning streak, Durant seems to be fitting in nicely.
Many people had this date circled on their calendar when the schedule came out for the new season after witnessing an epic six game Finals series between the Wizards and Thunder last June. But this match-up between two of the current day powerhouses of the NBA - the first of two this season - now has even more significance given the blockbuster Christmas day trade that saw superstar Kevin Durant join the Wizards and young stars Andrew Wiggins, Bradley Beal and Nerlens Noel join the Thunder.
It will not only be the first time these two teams have met since Washington coach Avery Johnson and his victorious players held the Larry O'Brien Trophy aloft in front of their home crowd at the Verizon Center on June 6th of last year, but also the first time that those big name players will face their former team. It will be an especially emotional experience for the three-time scoring champion Kevin Durant as he plays against his good friend Russell Westbrook for the first time ever.
Durant has been playing at an MVP level since making the move back to the city where he spent his childhood. In the seven games as a Wizards player he is averaging 38 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block per game. Washington have only won four of those seven games though. It seems that he has had no trouble settling in with his new team, but his new team mates will have to find a way to perform alongside him in order to keep the Wizards at the top of the eastern conference.
On the other side of things in Oklahoma City it looks like Andrew Wiggins, Bradley Beal and Nerlens Noel are all fitting in nicely as well. Wiggins (26p/5r/4a/2s/1b) and Beal (17p/6r/3a) have both featured in all seven of the Thunder's games since the trade and appear to have continued the good early season form they showed with the Wizards. Thunder GM Sam Presti must be feeling pretty good about himself right now.
Nerlens Noel (7p/7r/3a) only managed to play five games with the Thunder before he was cruelly struck down by an injury that he suffered against the Knicks on January 2nd. The athletic big man fell awkwardly when contesting a rebound with Steven Adams and injured his back. Scans later revealed that he had broken his back and would miss two months of basketball. It's unknown at this point whether or not he will be right to play in the playoffs or not. Luckily for the Thunder they had Larry Sanders to step in and fill the void in the paint.
Another meeting between these two teams in this season's Finals is looking quite possible as the Wizards (27-5) are leading the eastern conference and the Thunder (24-6) are in a three-way battle with the Spurs and Clippers for top spot in the western conference. The game tonight has been pretty even according to bookmakers, but the Wizards are slightly favoured as the game is in Washington.
The individual player match-ups are quite mouth-watering also. Durant vs Wiggins will be epic for all sorts of reasons. Durant has been in white hot form in the past fortnight, but Wiggins proved in the Finals last season that he can effectively limit Durant's influence on the game. Wiggins himself has showed improvement in his offensive game this season and both players are in the race for the scoring title.
The other marquee battle in this game will be between John Wall and Russell Westbrook. Both have proven themselves at the top level after both being named the Finals MVP in their team's recent championship wins. Wall is probably ahead though with his two consecutive regular season MVP awards. Both players are at the top of the league in terms of athleticism and are vital to their teams' offense.
Serge Ibaka will have his hands full trying to contain DeMarcus Cousins in the paint. It should be a great contest between arguably the best offensive big man in the league and the best defensive big man in the league. Veteran Kevin Martin will have a big role to play for the Wizards. He will need to do his best to at least match Bradley Beal on the offensive end to give his team a chance to win the game. The result may come down to which team's bench can be more productive.
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