Report: Grizzlies plan to make pitch to Kevin Durant in free agency
The Memphis Grizzlies don't have a rich history of landing high-profile free agents, but that's not going to stop them from reportedly going after perhaps the biggest prize of the 2016 class in Kevin Durant.
Re-signing unrestricted free-agent point guard Mike Conley will be one of Memphis' top priorities this summer. Should the franchise come to terms on a new deal with the 28-year-old, management will pitch a potential "Big Three" of Conley, Durant, and Marc Gasol to the Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star this summer, according to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Grizzlies have been a playoff team for each of the past five seasons, advancing as far as the Western Conference finals in 2012-13, where they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs. Consistency has never been an issue for head coach Dave Joerger's club, but making the jump from perennial postseason team to legitimate championship contender may take adding an established superstar piece like Durant.
The problem for Memphis is that Durant will have a number of suitors bidding for his services, putting more pressure on the Grizzlies to make a pitch that outshines those with larger markets and more money to offer, which could be extremely difficult to do.
The defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors are reportedly the front-runners to snatch Durant away from OKC, while the Los Angeles Clippers may be willing to part ways with Blake Griffin in order to sign the four-time scoring champion - two destinations that are likely far more intriguing than Memphis.
Gasol will be out of action for the foreseeable future with a broken foot, which should hurt the Grizzlies, who are holding onto a 2 1/2-game lead over the Dallas Mavericks for the sixth seed in the West. If Durant decides to ditch the only franchise he's ever known in the Thunder, he'll more than likely end up on a team that will give him his greatest shot at hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy - making the need for a strong second half of the season in Memphis all the more important.
Durant will be starting for the West in the 2016 All-Star Game in Toronto on Feb. 14. He's currently averaging 27.8 points on 50.6 percent shooting, eight rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 46 appearances for the Thunder.