Los Angeles Clippers: Kevin Durant won’t affect Clippers’ offseason

Kevin Durant’s Achilles injury in the NBA Finals sent a massive ripple effect throughout the NBA, which does not include the Los Angeles Clippers.

Kevin Durant was out of action for a month in the NBA Playoffs with what initially seemed to be a minor calf injury. With the Golden State Warriors facing the brink of elimination in Game 5, Durant came back and hurt his Achilles, which not only affects the Warriors but the free agent frenzy that the Los Angeles Clippers are a part of.

First and foremost, the Durant injury is terrible. This is terrible for Durant, this is terrible for the Warriors and it sucks that one of the best basketball players in the world risked his health for his team and possibly took a year off of his career.

Achilles injuries are no joke and it is more than likely that Durant won’t be back until the 2020 NBA Playoffs.

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Because of this, there is a massive seismic shift in the free agent class. Durant was the biggest name and now it seems safer to take his player option with the Warriors next year.

He would get paid over $31 million and would be able to rest his Achilles and come back in the postseason and win another championship. While there definitely is a chance that a team still offers him a massive max contract this summer, it is more likely that Durant returns for one last year with Golden State.

That takes the biggest free agent name off the board, making every other team looking for stars to adjust. Heck, just today it was reported that the New York Knicks are looking to heavily pursue Kawhi Leonard this summer.

We did not hear nearly anything about Leonard and the Knicks prior to this injury, as Durant has always been “the guy” for New York.

What we have heard a lot of is Leonard potentially going to the Los Angeles Clippers this summer. Leonard has been “the guy” for the Clippers, with many expecting him to flock to his Southern California roots.

Now, with Durant out, Leonard is the best free agent on the board, especially after this insane run in the NBA Playoffs that very well might lead to a ring. While every team with cap space certainly was going to consider Leonard, he now is the marquee piece to go after.

That appears as if it will make the Clippers’ offseason plans harder to pull off. And as a Clipper fan, I completely understand if you would be cautious of getting overly excited, especially after Durant’s injury.

While it does open up the market for Leonard, it is not going to affect the Clippers. Quite frankly, Leonard probably already has his mind made up either way. Whether he is staying in Toronto, going to the Clippers or even shocking the world and signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, Leonard almost certainly has his mind made up with where he wants to play.

The Knicks really have nothing to offer that the Clippers can’t. The Clippers have the same massive market, a better ownership group and better assets to build towards the future.

The only thing that the Knicks could bring to the table is if they somehow traded for Anthony Davis and Davis committed to the team long-term. But even then, Leonard has never seemed like the kind of player that is concerned with playing with other superstars.

So take a deep breathe, Clipper fans. As horrible as Durant’s injury is for him and the Warriors right now, it won’t have any lasting effects on the Los Angeles Clippers.