NBA Trade Rumors 2013: Kevin Durant Leaving Oklahoma City Thunder? Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love Could Head to Lakers

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First Posted: Oct 25, 2013 10:35 AM EDT

Kevin Durant will leave the Oklahoma City Thunder for a chance to play with the Houston Rockets when his current contract expires in two years, ESPN and Grantland basketball analyst Jalen Rose said.

Rose, who predicted Michael Jordan would play a game with the Charlotte Bobcats next season, pulled off another eyebrow-raising prediction, and this time, it's all about Durant's upcoming free agency in 2016.

The ESPN reporter believes Durant will play out the last two seasons of his contract and leave the team that drafted him with the No. 2 overall pick in 2007 for an opportunity to win titles alongside old pal James Harden and Dwight Howard in Houston.

Durant, ranked as the No. 2 best player in the league just behind four-time MVP LeBron James, responded right away to Rose's prediction, but he did not confirm, nor reject the possibility of switching uniforms in the future.

"Nah, I'm here for the Thunder (laughs). I mean, that's all I can say. I'm not thinking far down the line at all. It's about today. Today we got better against the Chicago Bulls. I can't tell the future. I can't speak on that. That's his opinion. I'm just going to keep playing for the Thunder. I love playing here," Durant told the Oklahoman.

Durant said he expects free agency rumors about him to linger for the next three years. Still, Howard stressed that he doesn't know what the future holds and instead he plans to take the process slowly.

"I mean, just let them know I'm not thinking that far down the line, I guess. I mean, I love my teammates. I love where I live. I love playing for this organization. So I'm just taking it a day at a time," he added.

Basketball Soulmates in Purple-and-Gold

Other than Durant's free agency destination, Rose predicted that Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook and Minnesota T-Wolves power forward Kevin Love will leave their current teams to play for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2016.

Westbrook and Love played together during their college years at UCLA, leaving the possibility of playing for the Lakers open.

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