Lock if this point has been raised. It seems to be common knowledge that Durant & Harden were/are closer than Durant & Westbrook, then I came across a random thread speculating that Durant's best friend in the NBA is actually... Beasley. http://www.rantsports.com/nba/2013/...nd-kevin-durant-the-tale-of-two-best-friends/ http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/...d-kevin-durant-could-become-sonics-teammates/ random thread I came across at first: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/2000208-sports-and-racing-nba/68653217
WB's position does not interfere with Durant's other than that he takes couple touches and shots away from Kevin I think there was a reason why OKC went with a defending SG (Sefolosha) than with Harden as a starter You have to field an extremely competitive and defensive minded lineup with Harden That is not easy to do. Morey found out the hard(en) way
They're friends from playing AAU ball together. Not sure about "best" friends. Could be wrong on that though.
Durant is going to sign a one year deal with OKC this year. If he doesn't, he loses $20Million due to the cap increase. Secondly, no. The key to durant's heart is not the Chinese league MVP.
Dwight lost 30 million signing with the Lakers. LMA lost money signing with the Spurs. Durant is a superstar, he can make that money elsewhere.
He will sign a 2 year deal with the opt out in the 2nd year to max out the following year with the cap spike. I just can't see him coming to Houston unless him and Harden are the very best of friends and the coach we pick is the one he wants to play for. Beasley isn't moving the needle enough to make the commitment.
Your example still hinges on Durant putting money first as his first priority No one knows what Durant is going to do and people are speaking in terms of "If I were Durant, I'd..." and no one has a clue quite frankly. You could easily make a case that he wants to play with his buddies in Texas (A state he's very familiar with) for the Rockets. Or you could make a case that he'll just go to the Warriors to win right away. Or he wants to go play for the Lakers or Knicks... Or you could make the case you and others are making. That money is his first priority so he'll just resign. Although I'd argue that since Durant is a superstar, one of the faces of the NBA...he's going to make up that 20 million he loses in endorsements quite easily. Especially if he wins. The point is, no one is Durant and no one knows how he will prioritize things when FA hits.
It's actually the pet frog that Beasley carries around in his back pocket and sometimes backpack that Durant is so fond of.
Howard did not lose 30m - it was a shorter contract, which he will make up this year and there were no state income taxes in Texas. It was a wash. DD
this reminds me of when lebron was a free agent. cavs were gonna form a big 3. rileys answer to that was...josh mcroberts and danny granger. one helluva curveball he threw there. i bet lebron lost a lotta sleep deciding who to choose from.
I don't think Beasley by himself moves the needle very much either, just seems like a Morey move after seeing the impact a no-name second round pick making under a million a year could have on bringing Dwight here. Suggesting that Chandler Parsons would play any role in where Dwight went this time 3 yrs ago would've elicited belligerent laughter in your face. Anyway, main point is the Beasley signing may've been less of a head scratcher if the press releases noted "oh, and he's Durant's best friend." He's another direct line to KD... or at least another guy to be buzzing in his ear about Houston. Precedent has already been set for stars taking a pay cut to play with their friends and in this regard Beasley is just an "asset" in Moreyspeak.
Why would Durant leave a team that's close to contending for a team that virtually in the lottery? Be real Houston fans.
Did you know that Derek Fisher and Matt Barnes played AAU ball together? Jk. No one's denying that AAU ball can create friendships though...
