NBA Rumors: Kevin Durant No Longer Interested In Washington Wizards

NBA rumors are swirling around Kevin Durant. He and Russell Westbrook are currently battling the Dallas Mavericks to see which team will move to the second round of the playoffs. However, there is still chatter about what he will do in free agency this summer. Those rumors heated up even more today as the Washington Wizards signed his former head coach. Some believe that Scott Brooks will be able to lure Durant back to his hometown. According to Yahoo! Sports, the former Texas Longhorns star is actually not interested in the Wizards.

The hiring of Scott Brooks by the Washington Wizards was finally made official after being rumored for the past week. Many were under the impression that the franchise hired him because they wanted to lure in Kevin Durant this summer. While Brooks and Durant remain close, the former is also considered one of the best head coaches because of his merits.

The timing of the Scott Brooks hiring is also going to lead to more speculation. He joins the Washington Wizards a couple of months before Kevin Durant is set to hit the open market. Brooks, however, had always intended to return to the NBA this year. After being fired by the Oklahoma City Thunder, he decided that he wanted to take a year off. Brooks needed the time to recover after being on the road for so many years.

Scott Brooks being interested in the Washington Wizards wasn’t solely because of Kevin Durant possibly signing there. He liked the team because they already had some legitimate NBA stars on board. John Wall is one of the best point guards around. Bradley Beal is developing into a really good player. Marcin Gortat provides them with a legitimate big man, something that is now rare in the National Basketball Association.

Being his hometown is actually something that works against the Washington Wizards in their pursuit of Kevin Durant in free agency. While a lot of NBA players like being home, there are many who are against the idea. They simply don’t want to be around people that they grew up with. When you become rich and famous, people have a tendency to want things from you. Durant might not want to deal with all of those people.

Like a lot of smart athletes, Kevin Durant has tightened his inner circle over the years. He only keeps around those that he feels are worthy of being around. Those that simply want something from him are left out of the circle. There were even talks that Durant hates visiting the Washington Wizards once a year because it stresses him out to hear people giving him sob stories in hopes of getting some financial assistance.

A lot of NBA players have multiple residences. Kevin Durant has a place in Oklahoma City. He also owns a place in Miami. That’s always a fun location for young millionaires to be. Since he might be making more than $25 million per year soon, Durant can fly back to Washington DC whenever he feels like it. It’s not like he needs to base his future in the National Basketball Association on location.

Knowing all this, the Washington Wizards will still pursue Kevin Durant. It would be the smart thing to do, especially with Scott Brooks now on board. If there’s a slight chance that Durant could be convinced to sign, then the Wizards will swing that bat. A trio of John Wall, Bradley Beal, and Durant could develop into a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference. They might even be able to compete for an NBA Championship.