A few months back, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith made some comments on ‘First Take’ that said Kevin Durant had the Los Angeles Lakers at the top of his list heading into free agency this summer. Durant responded by saying that Smith was spitting boldfaced lies and that Smith had never even contacted anyone within his crew about the matter. Here it is February 1, and Smith has brought the issue up once again, but there’s a new twist.
“Keep in mind this,” Smith told the ‘Mason and Ireland’ show. “One of the biggest reasons, I’m told, that Kevin Durant may have the Lakers at the top of his list is because the Lakers have been led to believe — by whom specifically I do not know — but the Lakers have been led to believe that it is a very good chance that the following year Russell Westbrook is coming.
“So, because of that, this notion that Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook ain’t tight, that they don’t want to play together, that is a lie,” he continued. “They love each other, and they love being on the same team with one another. And if it so happens to be in the L.A. market, all the better.
“I’m not saying that it’s done, I’m not saying that they said they’re going to leave Oklahoma City, but it’s a big possibility. It’s a big possibility.”
It’s been questioned before how credible Smith’s connections within the NBA are, but if this has some validity to it, the Lakers could be prepared to become a powerhouse once again. They will likely have one of the top picks in the 2016 NBA Draft to add to both Durant and Westbrook which would set them up for a potential run at the 2017-18 NBA championship.
Now let’s hope Mitch Kupchak and Jerry Buss don’t screw it up.
