Many have speculated that Kevin Durant could land in Washington when he becomes a free agent this offseason. It’s his hometown, the place he grew up, he has friends and family there, and that may appeal to him.
As it turns out, according to a report, those are the exact reasons that he’s not interested in a homecoming.
According to Chris Mannix of the Vertical, Durant isn’t “keen” on signing with the Wizards despite their hiring of his former coach Scott Brooks. The reason? He doesn’t want to deal with all those friends and family clamoring for ticket requests and all that comes with playing at home. League sources told Mannix that Durant’s lone trip to D.C. this season was “stressful” for him, and reinforced why he is not interested in playing 41 games a year there.
Brooks’s hiring won’t be a factor, according to Mannix, though Durant still respects and even occasionally misses his former coach. The drawbacks simply outweigh the positives.
Mannix lists three teams as plausible suitors who will likely make a run at the free agent star: Golden State, San Antonio, and the dark horse candidate Boston. Washington will still make their run at him, but it sounds as though they don’t stand much of a chance.
