Kevin Durant will he join in 2019?

In July 2017, so a year before the announced Free Agency of LeBron James we bet the King would leave the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Los Angeles Lakers. It was for us the ideal destination for his end of career … and for the future. Because it is probably not just a sporting choice. But a lifestyle sought by the player and his family, an environment different from that of Ohio. Now, it's time to take a chance again to try a prognosis. Perhaps even more daring. It seems obvious that the Angelenos will sign another superstar in 2019. Come on, let's be visionaries (crazy?): Kevin Durant will join James in a year

2018, the end of the "Big Three" for LeBron James?

The Lakers did not need to acquire Kawhi Leonard to convince the best basketball player in the world to join them. Not even to sign Paul George finally extended by the Oklahoma City Thunder. James does not have the same sense of urgency. Of course he wants to build a team to win. But he understood that it could take more than a year. The Golden State Warriors are way ahead. So he was the first to take the lead and take the leadership of one of the most mythical organizations in the US sport. And, as always, players accompany him in his luggage. From Lance Stephenson JaVale McGee Kentavious Caldwell-Pope …

Wait . Where is the "Big Three" in all this? The Akron prodigy has got us used to superstar badociations. His talents, they export where they mix with other talents. Those of Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh at the Miami Heat. Or Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love at the Cleveland Cavaliers. There may be none of this for his first season in the City of Angels.

So, certainly, the leaders are still working on recruiting Leonard. It is not unlikely that the former MVP finals (2014, won by the San Antonio Spurs in front of the Heat James) arrives by the end of the summer. He would form a perfect duet with James. Both seem perfectly complementary on paper. KL is an excellent defender who can shine with or without the ball. They would probably pull themselves up.

The Lakers can also turn to DeMarcus Cousins, the All-Star pivot still on the market. He is recovering from a severe Achilles tendon injury that may affect his value. If DMC does not extend to the New Orleans Pelicans (who have reached the second round of the playoffs in his absence), he is likely to join L.A. for a short contract. The Angelenos would then have three All-Stars

2019, the real flagship year for Los Angeles

In reality, it is likely that LeBron James and his new employers are patient. It is certainly not a coincidence that the workforce fills a contract of one year. KCP, McGee and Stephenson will all be free again in 2019. The Lakers are aiming to have the most available space under Cape Town for next year. That prepares something. The threshold will also increase (from 101 to 109 million) within a year. A priori

And there is a pack of major players likely to end up on the market during the next offseason. Kyrie Irving who should decide between the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks. Jimmy Butler . Klay Thompson . Kawhi Leonard especially if he was not transferred by the Spurs by then. And … Kevin Durant!

It almost went unnoticed because the whole basketball world was waiting for James' decision. But KD has extended to the Golden State Warriors. More than the amount or choice, expected, it is the duration of the contract that challenges. He chose a new 1 + 1, deal that leaves the franchise in doubt. And which allows the player to keep a real control over his future. In other words: Durant is signed for another year with the possibility of changing teams next year. Maybe that's not his intention. Maybe he just wants to sign a larger contract when Cape Town has been revised upwards (the maximum amounts are indexed to a percentage of Cape Town, the higher the cap, the stronger the contract).

Kevin Durant with his friend LeBron?

A journalist from The Athletic, the most knowledgeable media about the Warriors, confessed that the type of contract chosen by the double-MVP finals was absolutely not trivial . It opens, for the first time, the door to a possible departure of the superstar. Kevin Durant is probably comfortable in Oakland. But he looked less happy this season. He even confessed. This is not a speculation, it's a fact: he himself confided that he had taken less pleasure this season. As if that were not enough, Steve Kerr himself also admitted that KD was less happy. After, all that is normal. In their words: there was the wedding, the wedding night and the routine that took place. That does not mean he will necessarily leave the Warriors.

But maybe he does not feel like a Golden State player for life. After all, he is often blamed for defeats. Stephen Curry remains the face of the organization. As some fans repeat: this team won before it arrived. Moreover, with James leaving for Los Angeles, the Dubs are the very, very, very big favorites to win a third title in a row.

Kevin Durant is already hated for his decision to have joined the Bay . He would have unbalanced the league to listen to some. So why not restore the swing? What would be the challenge for him after winning three rings in a row (if GS was to finish champion)? Go play with his rival … already done. His friend, maybe. Because LeBron and KD really appreciate each other. They were happy to play together at the last All-Star Game. They have never hidden their desire to play together.

It would be a new earthquake. Maybe right now, this badumption seems stupid or inconceivable. But seeing LeBron James at the Lakers also seemed impossible for many a year ago. In the NBA, everything is going very fast. We take the bet. See you in 2019.