Durant already facing his own free agency questions ahead of 2016…
Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant has congratulated LeBron James on his decision to leave the Miami Heat and return home to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Durant and James share a close friendship despite the media’s best efforts to create a rivalry between the pair, and the former didn’t rule out the possibility of following his James’ footsteps when he will potentially be faced with the same decision in 2016.
“I thought it was well-thought-out. It was classy. It was a great move to do it as a letter,” Durant said after a training camp session with USA Basketball on Tuesday, ESPN reports.
“You gotta respect that. I applauded him, I texted him and told him congratulations on the decision and told him I was happy for him. As a fan of the game, it’s going to be pretty cool to see him back in Cleveland.”
Durant has two years remaining on the five-year extension worth $86m that he signed with the Thunder back in 2010, and after purposely not including an early termination clause or player option, he was keen to show his loyalty and commitment to the franchise.
However, he is seemingly torn on what he will do when the free agency market opens in 2016 given the desire to return home to Washington, but he is keen to remain focused on the more immediate future which will be centred on helping Oklahoma City win an NBA championship.
“I’m going to do what’s best for me,” Durant said. “It’s hard to talk about that right now when I’ve got two years left in Oklahoma City. I’m just going to focus on that. I’m not going to make a decision based on what anybody else does.
“I grew up watching the Bullets/Wizards. I grew up taking the train to that arena, all the time, to watch Georgetown, the Bullets, the Washington Mystics. That whole city is a part of me. It’s in my blood. I love going back home, seeing my family and playing there, but I love Oklahoma City too.”
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