The Worst Possible (Realistic) Landing Spot for Every Top NBA Free Agent

While you could make this work on paper, it's too iffy for either side to take the plunge.Kevin Durant may skip 2019 free agency if it's revealed he tore his Achilles, which, as ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski reported, the Golden State Warriors fear he did in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday.Durant holds a $31.5 million player option for 2019-20, and this medical malady might force him to pick it up.Then again, his preternatural talents are so great teams may still take the risk. The same thing that's potentially pushing him from Golden State effectively raises a barricade around the Purple and Gold."NBA sources suggest you can eliminate LeBron's Lakers and Steph's Warriors if Durant's goal remains to avenge his social media critics, to prove he can win on a team that he leads," TrueHoop's Henry Abbott wrote.If you just boiled this down to a basketball conversation, L.A. still shouldn't make the final cut. Why would the Clippers be any different?Unless a superstar swingman like Durant or Kawhi Leonard handpicks Irving as his preferred running mate, the Clippers and the point guard can find better fits than each other.If there's an A-list name in free agency, it's probably been connected to the New York Knicks at some point.Happens all the time, right? New York has gobs of cap space, intriguing prospects and enough draft capital to potentially bankroll a blockbuster trade.The Knicks should be able to bend the ear of elites, and not just for the leverage play of driving up their prices with other suitors."According to NBA sources, Knicks president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry expect to get a meeting with Raptors star Kawhi Leonard and at least have a puncher's chance," Marc Berman reported for the New York Post.In Leonard's case, though, it shouldn't take long for him to realize he wants things the Knicks can't provide.If the SoCal native continues hoping for the familiarity and comfy climate of home, he has no reason to consider the Empire State. New York was dead last in assist percentage and 21st in catch-and-shoot three-point attempts.From lifestyle to play style, the Knicks are no match for Thompson.Sorry, Charlotte Hornets, but if you love Kemba Walker, you'd let him go.The franchise's all-time leading scorer and only current All-Star has made no bones about his desire to stay with the only NBA team he's ever known.