For years, the names Jokic, Durant, James have echoed through the storied halls of the NBA as three of the strongest, most reliable players in the league. This year, things are different. The trio of unparalleled basketball talent has struggled to make it out of the first round of the playoffs, leading to pressing questions about their futures.
On Thursday night, three-time MVP Jokic was pushed out the door by a short-handed Minnesota Timberwolves squad. Days later, an injured Durant saw his Houston Rockets lose an intense battle with James’ Los Angeles Lakers, who face serious uncertainty ahead against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The season has now come to a close for two of these players, but all three of them may choose major career changes this summer.
There is a chance that fans are seeing the final games of one, two, or all three of these stars with their respective teams.
Who Is Most Likely To Leave? Jokic, Durant, James All Have Decisions To Make
There have been rumors about Durant and James potentially leaving their teams this offseason, and they are sure to grow after a first-round exit. Jokic has pledged his allegiance to the Nuggets, but an unexpected departure from the playoffs can change things quickly, especially if it becomes clear that his team’s championship window is closing. The question now is which of these three is most likely to jump ship?
Recent history would suggest that Durant is a prime candidate to leave his team—again. NBA fans have seen it multiple times: Durant loses faith in his team’s ability to win, or he just doesn’t feel like it’s a great fit anymore, and hits the road in hopes of a new franchise that can bring him back to postseason glory. It happened with each of his teams, and his subsequent tenures have grown smaller. Could he be one-and-done after a single year with the Rockets?
In many ways, Durant leaving the Rockets would make sense for both sides. The team had to move away from its young core when it brought the 16-time All-Star into the fold, and so far, it hasn’t been perfect. Promising? Yes, but far from stunning. There has been an element of Durant feeling like an outsider, someone who doesn’t completely fit with everyone else despite his undeniable talents. Durant heading to a new team could give him a squad that really feels like his own.
No one is sure how much longer James has in the NBA, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see the 41-year-old legend hang up his jersey after this year. It also wouldn’t be a surprise for him to move to a different destination for one final run at the Larry O’Brien trophy. There have been rumors about him heading back to the Cleveland Cavaliers, his hometown team, which just happens to be more of a championship contender than the Lakers.
Los Angeles general manager Rob Pelinka would hate to see James go, but he’d be happy to have a lot more money to throw around. That is important for a team that is eager to put a stronger unit around Luka Doncic. Parting ways with James would hurt, but it would free Pelinka up to offer a massive deal to someone like Bam Adebayo or Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Jokic would be the biggest shock, but his team might be in the worst position. They have devoted millions to the contracts of players like Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Aaron Gordon, and Jokic himself. They are financially tangled up in their roster, and the disappointing campaign against the Timberwolves makes it clear that something has to change. Losing Jokic would be Denver’s worst-case scenario, but if he became convinced that the team’s management wasn’t going to make appropriate changes, why wouldn’t he at least consider leaving for a team that can compete at a higher level without the financial restraints that Denver has?
In the grand scheme of things, Jokic is most likely remaining with his team, at least for another year or two. The loss to Minnesota may have created the first cracks in what used to be an unshakeable commitment to the Nuggets. James seems like a 50/50 decision, mostly because an exit from Los Angeles could create a poetic end to his career and also give the Lakers much-needed financial flexibility. Durant feels like the most conceivable candidate for a change of scenery, but doing so would be a major blow to his legacy.
When the season began, there was great speculation about any three of these players going all the way to the Finals. The year didn’t turn out as expected, and it could lead to an offseason full of gigantic changes.
