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Wizards are ‘pessimistic’ about chances at recruiting Kevin Durant, don’t expect to get a meeting

By Jake Whitacre

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NBA: Oklahoma City Thunder at Washington Wizards Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Remember that awkward year in your childhood where you’re pretty sure Santa Claus isn’t real, but your parents don’t have the heart to dash your dreams yet, so you linger around in a state of limbo waiting for someone to either introduce you to reality or show you that your wildest dreams can come true?

Well, that’s where we’re at with KD2DC. Marc Stein of ESPN included a nugget in his latest report on the Kevin Durant chase that reinforces something plenty of Wizards fans have felt for some time, in light of their struggles this season:

Sources say Durant's hometown Washington Wizards are likewise pessimistic about their chances of emerging as a real factor in the Durant sweepstakes, despite the recent hiring of former Thunder coach Scott Brooks.

Normally, we’d cry right now but we’ve already cried all our tears for this season. Washington’s only real shot at luring KD was going to be if they took a major step forward this season to show they were in an excellent spot and just needed Durant to take them over the top. That simply didn’t happen this season.

A big part of the reason why the Wizards might be feeling pessimistic is that they haven’t even been able to secure a meeting with Durant. According to Stein’s report, the Thunder, Spurs, and Warriors are the only teams who have secured a meeting to this point, though that could change. Hopefully KD is gracious enough to offer the Wizards a meeting so at least they can have something to show for the past two seasons, but it’s not as if he owes the Wizards anything.

If there’s any consolation in this report, it’s that the Wizards seem to understand they’re on the outside looking in. That’s the first step. It also means they’re probably already well on their way to constructing Plans B, C, and D for this summer. Let’s just hope overpaying for Joakim Noah isn’t part of any of those plans.

UPDATE: Sam Amick of USA Today is also reporting the Wizards do not expect to get a meeting with Durant, and are starting to move on:

As for the Wizards, they’re taking the two-track approach: patiently waiting on Durant’s call with hopes of being surprised while moving on with their non-Durant free agency plans so as not to be slowed down by a pipe dream.