With free agency looming, Kevin Durant is cutting his ties to the West Coast.
The Los Angeles Times reported earlier this week that Durant has offloaded his beachfront mansion in Malibu for a cool $12.15 million just 14 months after purchasing it in April 2018.
Durant’s sale of his swanky pad will only fuel speculation he’s prepping to sign a free agent contract with a team on the East Coast — likely the Nets or Knicks. He turned down his $31.5 million player option with the Warriors to become an unrestricted free agent earlier this week and, according to ESPN, the injured superstar is in New York with business manager Rich Kleiman “evaluating free agency options.”
Durant has also purchased a property in New York and moved his belongings there, according to Bleacher Report .
Hopeful Warriors fans will say the recent real estate news was merely an investment play by Durant, but as the Los Angeles Times noted, Durant sold the Malibu home for only $100,000 more than he paid for it in 2018 and nearly $1.5 million less than the listing price.
Durant has been heavily linked to the Nets and has reportedly met twice with fellow free agent Kyrie Irving about joining forces in Brooklyn. And though the 10-time All-Star will likely miss all of the 2019-20 season rehabbing a ruptured Achilles, the Nets, Knicks and others are entirely willing to give Durant a max contract.
And while several destinations will construct elaborate pitches for Durant, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told ESPN that Golden State will simply point to the success of the franchise as its selling point, not the breathtaking views in Malibu.
"We're not doing any videos and tours of the city. Basically it's a 'We want you back and we hope you decide to come back and see what happens,' but we're at a different place now," Kerr said. "But any time you're trying to retain your own players, I think the song and dance, the pomp and circumstance is unnecessary and I actually think it's unnecessary even for other players. You just got to do what you got to do, but with our group it's just — conversation."
Free agency officially opens Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.