The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to make big moves in the offseason and could be in a strong position to acquire Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant.
Durant will become an unrestricted free agent this summer and is continuously being linked to a possible deal with the Lakers, who will be looking to sign a superstar in the offseason to take the place of Kobe Bryant.
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Former Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal is actually convinced that Durant will move to Los Angeles this offseason. When asked during an appearance on SportsCenter, Shaq did not hesitate to mention Los Angeles as Durant's landing spot this summer.
Morning News USA then agreed to Shaq's assessment, citing several reasons like the team's treatment for proven superstars, including Bryant's case, as the 20-year veteran still received a lucrative deal and special treatment over the past several years despite being slowed down by injuries.
Durant has made it no secret that he wants to win a title as soon as possible. While the Lakers failed to advance to the NBA playoffs for three straight seasons, they will have a young core moving forward, headlined by D'Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle, which could attract Durant and other top free agents in the offseason.
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Durant could also earn bigger paycheck if he decides to move to a big-market team like Los Angeles. It also worth noting that Roc Nation Sports, who represents Durant, is based in Los Angeles and has partnership deal with the well-known Creative Artists Agency.
Recent rumors also indicated that the Lakers will consider hiring former Thunder head coach Scott Brooks if they decide to part ways with Byron Scott this summer. Durant made it no secret that he was surprised when the Thunder fired Brooks last year, crediting the veteran coach for helping him become one of the best players in the NBA.
Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders indicated that Brooks, who was named NBA Coach of the Year in 2010, is also interested in striking a deal with Los Angeles if the Lakers decide to fire Scott.
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