Golden State Warriors frontrunners to land Kevin Durant next season

OAKLAND, Calif., Feb. 2 (UPI) -- Winning is the best motivator and an even better recruiter.

According to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, the Golden State Warriors are a "serious threat to sign Kevin Durant."

Durant, 27, is a free agent this summer. Wojnarowski said that "If Durant leaves the Thunder, the Warriors are the significant frontrunners to sign him, league sources told The Vertical."

Although Wojnarowski also said that Durant isn't "close to gone in Oklahoma City," he writes that he is determined to win.

CBS Sports' Zach Harper hypothesizes that if Durant landed in Golden State, it could mean trading away Andre Iguodala or finding new teams for Andrew Bogut and Jason Thompson. The Warriors could also sever ties with Harrison Barnes.

Wajnarowski also mentioned that the Los Angeles Clippers could be interested in a Durant for Blake Griffin swap.

Durant is averaging 27.2 points, eight rebounds and 4.5 assists per game this season. The Thunder currently holds a 37-13 record. The 2013 NBA MVP lost in the 2012 NBA Finals to the Miami Heat, the 2011 Western Conference Finals to the Dallas Mavericks, 2012 conference finals against the San Antonio Spurs, 2013 conference semifinals to the Memphis Grizzlies, and in the first round in 2009 to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Durant is making $20,158,622 this season before becoming an unrestricted free agent. His wingman, Russell Westbrook is also an intriguing target for NBA general managers. Westbrook is due $16,744,218 this season and $17,769,374 next season, before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2017.