Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki's season ended at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder six weeks ago, and apparently he doesn't think that Kevin Durant is about to go from his opponent to his teammate. Nowitzki visited the Mavericks' youth camp Tuesday and said that, perhaps if they had completed the DeAndre Jordan signing last summer, they would have a better chance, via Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
"That's a tough one," Nowitzki said when asked if Dallas could get Durant. "You'd love to think so. I'm just not sure how realistic that is.''
The way Nowitzki sees it, this isn't just about where the Mavs are. There is not a convincing argument for Durant to leave Oklahoma City.
"He wants to play to win," Nowitzki said, via ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "He's got a great group of guys there in OKC. They've got everything going. They've got youth, they've got talent, they've got athleticism. He's got a superstar player next to him. They're loaded where he's at."
The summer of Durant has definitely begun. As well as Nowitzki's comments, we have Golden State Warriors players sounding puzzled about why the team would even chase him, Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas speaking openly about recruiting him, Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti being coy and a report that Durant won't necessarily sign a short-term deal. Some other free agents will have to wait for Durant's decision, as whatever he does will affect the landscape of the league.
If Nowitzki is correct, the endless discussion about Durant's future will quickly be made moot. Given how well the Thunder played in the postseason, this seems likely. Maybe Durant will even try to follow in Nowitzki's footsteps and play for one franchise for his whole career.
