NBA Rumors: Kevin Durant Wants Front Office Job, Might Affect Free Agent Decision
NBA rumors are saying that Kevin Durant is highly interested in working in the front office of a franchise once he is done playing basketball, according to Hoops Rumors. With that in mind, his decision on which team he wants to sign with this summer in free agency could be determined by how willing they are to accommodate his wish of becoming an executive in the National Basketball Association.
A lot of NBA players are content with playing basketball, becoming famous, and collecting huge paychecks along the way. Some, such as Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and assistant coach Luke Walton, want to stay in the game by becoming coaches and teaching their version of basketball. A select few, though, want the challenge of being in the front office and building a National Basketball Association empire. Kevin Durant happens to be one of those people.
It is no secret that New York Knicks president Phil Jackson, a former NBA player himself, wants to sign Kevin Durant when he becomes a free agent this summer. One of the things that bodes well for the Knicks is that they currently have former star Allan Houston as the assistant general manager. He’s being groomed to become a general manager some day. Kevin Durant will obviously be reminded of that when he visits with Jackson this summer.
The San Antonio Spurs aren’t just one of the most envied franchises in the NBA, they’re praised by all of sports. If there’s someone that Kevin Durant would love to learn from, it’s Gregg Popovich. The man just knows how to build and run a team. Aside from all the championships that he has brought to the Spurs, Popovich has shown an amazing talent for being able to find players and groom them into solid contributors, which is a big reason why San Antonio is perennially in the NBA Playoffs.
Mark Cuban is a lot of things, but one of the best things about him is that he’s one of the best owners in the NBA. He’s very passionate about his team, and he’s shown consistently that he puts winning above everything else. Cuban also has one of the most respected executives in the NBA in Donnie Nelson, a man that could help groom Kevin Durant to be a great basketball executive.
Though the franchise has dipped a little since the passing of Jerry Buss, the Los Angeles Lakers are still one of the most valuable franchises in the NBA. There’s just something special about being involved with the purple and gold. Despite fans blaming him for everything that went wrong with the team, Mitch Kupchak pulled through that and built teams that won NBA Championships, so he would be an interesting potential mentor for Kevin Durant.
Then again, Kevin Durant could just choose to stay with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He already has developed relationships with the executives that currently work there. Durant would also be beloved by the fan base for sticking with the team, so mistakes he makes as an executive would be forgiven a bit easier. Plus, the Thunder employ Sam Presti, one of the best executives in the National Basketball Association and a disciple of Gregg Popovich.
Any NBA team that signs Kevin Durant this summer is getting a franchise player. That, they know for sure. However, the team might also be getting the man that will be guiding the franchise for years to come after he quits playing.
[Featured Photo by Elsa/Getty Images]
