NBA Trade Rumors 2016: Durant Likely To Sign With Golden State; Hawks Looking To Release Al Horford
Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant will likely head for Golden State and sign with the Warriors, reports claim.
According to a report by Adrian Wojnarowksi for Yahoo! Sports' "The Vertical," the defending NBA champions are considered as a "serious threat" to sign the 2014 Most Valuable Player awardee.
The report adds that the Warriors do have the ability to open up some space on their salary cap to accommodate the signing of the 27-year-old Durant. The team also believes that Durant's persona would be a good fit for them.
As of late, the rumors that have swirled around Durant's trade have involved three other teams, namely the New York Knicks, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Washington Wizards.
"Golden State's core is young, and Durant's disposition fits the Warriors' culture. He has won his scoring titles. He needs a legacy and believes fully that has to include multiple titles," an excerpt of Wojnarowski's report reads.
Durant, who was the second overall pick by the then Seattle Supersonics in the 2007 NBA Draft, has played in 44 games in the season so far. He is averaging 27.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.0 steals through 36 minutes of playing time per game.
Meanwhile, the Atlanta Hawks are reportedly open to entertaining trade offers for big man Al Horford.
In a report by Marc Spears for Yahoo! Sports, the Hawks are willing to listen to other offers before making their final decision, as they are not intending to let go of Horford for an unattractive offer. For his part, while free agency is looming for Horford by the summer, he intends to put his focus on the current season and make significant contributions as much as possible.
The 29-year-old Horford was selected third overall by the Hawks during the 2007 NBA Draft.
For the current season, he has played in 51 games so far and is averaging 15.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 3.0 assists, through 31.3 minutes of playing time per game.