Kevin Durant Sets October 1st ‘Deadline’ for Overseas Decision

Kevin Durant, along with several other NBA players, says that by October 1st, he’ll know whether or not to hop on a plane and join an overseas team. From the WaPo: “Durant said staying busy with playground basketball has provided a good distraction from the NBA’s labor strife, which is now in day 45 of a lockout that threatens to jeopardize the entire 2011-12 campaign. Durant’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, told ESPN.com that his client has been in negotiations with Besiktas, the same Turkish team that signed New Jersey Nets guard Deron Williams. Durant is also considering possibilities in Russia and Spain. He realizes that he will eventually have to make a decision about where he will play this fall, if it appears the league and its union cannot come to an agreement by the time training camps are slated to begin on Oct. 3. Durant said that after speaking with Stephen Jackson and a few other players last week, he has decided to set a deadline of Oct. 1. ‘Once we really know the season is not going to start at regular time, that’s when you make the decision,’ he said. ‘I guess when October hits, it’s really going to get real for me. I don’t want to do it too early and be locked into something, knowing we’re going to play. I’m going to keep my options open.’ When asked if Turkey was his first option, Durant said, ‘My agent is talking with those guys, but I really don’t know too much about what’s going on. He’s going to call the next few days, keep me in [the loop]. Right now, I’m just trying to get better hooping and we’ll see what happens.'”