Kevin Durant's First Game of 2019-20 Season Betting Odds and Prediction

Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant is the hottest topic in the upcoming NBA free agency because he is reportedly going to opt out of his current two-year contract with the Warriors to sign with another team. This topic has been so hot that it created a betting market in many top betting sites.

At BetOnline.ag, the Odds for the team where Durant will be at during the start of the 2019-20 NBA season have been released. Let’s take a look at the odds and predict where KD will play next season:

New York Knicks +150

The New York Knicks are the favorites to land Kevin Durant because the Knicks have more than enough cap space to sign two Max free agents this summer. New York traded injured star Kristaps Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks at last season’s trade deadline to clear up cap space. Irving has always been rumored to be leaving Boston after the season. One scenario had Irving teaming up with Jimmy Butler in a Knicks uniform That talk has faded in recent month and now the rumors are saying that it’s Durant and Kyrie Irving who is headed to New York.

Golden State Warriors +150

Kevin Durant signed with the Golden State Warriors three years ago in order to win an NBA title. He’s won two already plus he has added two Finals MVP to his resume so the rumor is that he’s going to opt out this summer and sign with another team. The main reason behind Durant’s rumored flight from the Bay Area is his desire to forge his legacy elsewhere because he isn’t getting the respect he deserves and wants in Golden State with people criticizing his transfer to Oakland. The Warriors had fallen off in the NBA betting odds for Durant’s 2020 destination but after the forward suffered an Achilles injury in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals, Golden State is back as the favorite ( along with New York ). With Durant hurt, his other suitors may be hesitant to offer him a max contract this summer, leaving Golden State as the highest bidder with a $31.5M player option for the upcoming season.

Los Angeles Clippers +300

The Los Angeles Clippers were reportedly targeting Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard in the offseason. The Clippers’ Lob City era ended when they traded Chris Paul and Blake Griffin in previous seasons and DeAndre Jordan before the start of the 2018-19 season. At the trade deadline this past season, the Clippers also traded away then leading scorer Tobias Harris to spark rumors that they were preparing to clean up cap space for the upcoming free agency. As of now, the Clippers can create $53M in cap space to use this July. That’s not enough for two max contracts but with Leonard likely staying put in Toronto after winning the 2019 NBA title with the Raptors, Kevin Durant should be the Clippers’ focus during free agency.

Brooklyn Nets +700

Brooklyn is a New York team, right? So all the talk about Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant teaming up in a New York team next season may not necessarily mean playing for the Knicks. Why not Brooklyn? The Nets have become the favorite team to land Irving after Irving parted ways with long-time agent Jeff Wechsler to sign with music mogul Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports. That was followed by a Boston Herald report that said that Kyrie was ready to sign with the Brooklyn Nets when the free agency period starts. At the Colin Cowherd show last Friday, NBA reporter Rick Buecher said that Kyrie and Durant met in New York recently to discuss their future plans.

Los Angeles Lakers +1600

The Lakers were a team that was in search of a superstar to pair with LeBron James. Los Angeles had the financial flexibility to add one more superstar this offseason. But the Lakers already made their early move by trading Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, and three future picks to the New Orleans Pelicans for star forward Anthony Davis. With Davis already in Lala land, the slot for a second max player has been taken. And even if the Lakers still had the cap space, I don’t think that any NBA city is big enough to have Durant, LeBron and Anthony Davis on one squad.

Oklahoma City Thunder +10000

Is Kevin Durant going to do what LeBron James did? King James left the Cleveland Cavaliers in search of an NBA title. After winning a couple of rings in Miami, James returned to Cleveland to fulfill his promise of giving the Cavaliers their first-ever NBA title. He did that in 2016. So will Kevin Durant return to the Thunder after abandoning them in 2016? This is very unlikely because first of all, the Thunder do not have the cap space to sign Durant on July 1st. With Westbrook and Paul George making at least $30M per annum, there is no room for a third max contract in OKC. Without that max contract, Durant isn’t going back to OKC this summer.

**NBA betting odds as of June 18, 2019 from Betonline.ag

Prediction?

With his Achilles injury, Durant’s prospective suitors may back off because he is expected to miss the entire 2019-20 season. However, there were reports that came out and said that teams like the Knicks and Nets are willing to sign KD to a max contract despite his predicament. However, those are just speculations.

All things considered, staying put in Golden State is what is perhaps best for him. The Warriors are expected to have trouble this season with Klay Thompson also out with an ACL tear. But with Thompson and Durant returning for the 2020-21 season, the Warriors are eager to prove that their reign isn’t over yet. Prediction: Golden State

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