Could A Return To Oklahoma City Be Kevin Durant’s Last Chapter?

In 2007, the Seattle SuperSonics took Kevin Durant with the second overall pick in the NBA Draft. After winning Rookie of the Year, the franchise moved to Oklahoma City where Durant would play his next eight seasons. In that span, he won an MVP award, four scoring titles, earned seven All-Star selections as well as four All-NBA First Team selections. Durant remains the SuperSonics/Thunder all-time leader in 3-point field goals and ranks third in points behind former teammate Russell Westbrook and Gary Payton.

While Durant enjoyed a lot of individual success in Oklahoma City, the Thunder made the playoffs in seven consecutive seasons. They won 50 games or more five times and played at a 58-win pace in the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season. Oklahoma City made the Western Conference Finals four times during that run and earned a trip to the 2012 NBA Finals.

They nearly returned to the NBA Finals in 2016 when they held a 3-1 lead over the 73-win Golden State Warriors. The Warriors rallied to win the series in seven games, including a legendary performance from Klay Thompson in Game 6 when he scored 39 points and knocked down eleven 3's.

However, in those NBA Finals, the Warriors also blew a 3-1 lead to the Cavaliers, losing two of the final three games on their home floor. Their solution, spurred by a salary cap spike, was to sign Durant, who was a free agent at the time. He chose the Warriors over the Thunder, Celtics, and Spurs to team with Stephen Curry, Thompson, and Draymond Green to form one of the greatest teams in NBA history.

With Durant in the Bay Area, the Warriors would avenge their loss to the Cavaliers, winning the 2017 and 2018 NBA Finals. Durant was named Finals MVP for both of those series. However, because he joined a team that had already won a championship, set the single-season record for wins, and featured another all-time great in Curry, Durant has never gotten his due for those championships with many naysayers who believe he had to stack the deck to win a championship.

The Warriors returned to the NBA Finals in 2019 and faced the Raptors. The Raptors won the series in six games as the Warriors could not overcome injuries to Thompson (torn ACL) and Durant (torn Achilles). Following that season, Durant opted out and headed East, teaming up with Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn. Two years later, their duo turned into a Big 3 when Durant's former teammate, James Harden, was traded to the Nets.

Though potent together offensively, their time together turned into one of the greatest what-ifs in NBA history. Durant, Irving, and Harden went 13-3 when playing together, but ultimately 16 games together would not be enough. Durant nearly willed the Nets past Milwaukee in the 2021 Eastern Semifinals with Irving injured and Harden hobbled, but his 49 points in Game 7 would not be enough. Milwaukee would go on to win the championship while the Nets would start to break apart.

A year later, Harden was traded to Philadelphia for a package that included Ben Simmons, who was disgruntled. That would become a theme in Brooklyn. In February 2023, Irving requested a trade amidst a contract dispute. He would end up in Dallas and a few days later Durant was traded to the Suns to team up with Devin Booker.

Durant and Booker would help the Suns push the Nuggets to six games in the Western Conference Semifinals, but did not have enough depth. With Chris Paul on his way out, the Suns opted to flip his salary in a three-team deal that landed Bradley Beal in Phoenix, forming yet another Big 3 for Durant.

With Durant, Booker, and Beal making $151 million combined, surrounding them with quality depth was an major issue. Others have focused on their lack of a point guard. The Suns did have the worst fourth quarter offense and was swept by Minnesota in the first round. This brings everything back full circle.

Had Durant been able to lead the Nets to a championship in 2021 – where he would have faced the Suns- he would have a ring that everyone would consider "legitimate" as he was the leader on that team. Instead, Durant is on his second team since leaving the Warriors and this time, the pieces do not fit nearly as seamless. More changes have followed with Mike Budenholzer replacing Frank Vogel. Owner Matt Ishiba remains committed to keeping his Big 3 together, but the offseason has yet to begin.

The Suns would likely get the least in return for Beal coming off an injury-plagued season. Additionally, options for trading him are further limited because he has a no-trade clause. That leaves Booker, the team's homegrown franchise player, and Durant, who has become a bit of a mercenary over the last few years. However, should Durant ask him to be traded again himself, there is one destination that makes a ton of sense- a return to Oklahoma City.

Why It Makes Sense For Oklahoma City

A year after losing in the play-in tournament, the Thunder earned top seed in the vaunted Western Conference Finals after going 57-25 in the regular season. Some would say they arrived a year ahead of schedule. However, the journey ended with a second round exit to the Dallas Mavericks in six games. However, the Thunder may still be playing either tonight in game 7 or already advanced to the Western Conference Finals had they addressed their need for more size.

The Thunder were out-rebounded by 4.7 rebounds per game in the series, including by 16 in the decisive Game 6. Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II were two players who contributed to that discrepancy. Gafford, along with Clint Capela and Andre Drummond, were a few centers I suggested that the Thunder could acquire at an affordable price before the trade deadline. However, none of those players were in GM Sam Presti's plans. In fact, the Thunder actually helped facilitate both Gafford's and Lively's arrivals in Dallas.

The Thunder ranked 27th in rebounding in the regular season but led the league in 3-point shooting percentage. They did not want a true center who may clog up their spacing, which is where Durant comes in. No one will confuse Durant with Dennis Rodman, but he has averaged between six and eight rebounds in each of the last 16 seasons. At this stage of his career, Durant has settled in power forward and at times as a small-ball center. He is also an underrated weakside rim protector and has averaged over a block per game in eight of the past nine seasons.

However, Durant will be even more valuable to Oklahoma City offensively. Considering his height at 6-foot-11, there may not be a better floor spacer in the history of the game than Durant. He is shooting 50% from the field, 38% from 3, and 88% from the free throw line for his career. This season, he was not far off from a third 50/40/90 season in his career.

Playing with Durant would give Shai Gilgeous-Alexander a lot of space to operate on his drives to the basket. Additionally, while Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 30 points and nearly shot 50% from the field in the playoffs, Oklahoma City's offense stagnated at times. Durant would help the Thunder get easier looks and play their preferred five-out style. It is very easy to craft lineups around Gilgeous-Alexander, Durant, and Chet Holmgren.

Why It Makes Sense for the Suns

One player I did not include in those future Thunder lineups is Jalen Williams. While I remain very high on Williams, the Suns would likely want him included in a Durant trade. Williams starts at power forward for the Thunder, but he is more of a shooting guard/small forward. As a result, he overlaps with Booker and Beal even more than Durant does. Additionally, Oklahoma City likely scoffs at Williams' inclusion with Durant being 36 and having two years left on his deal. However, Oklahoma City could still put together the strongest offer for Durant without including Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren, or Williams.

Oklahoma City has 13 first round picks until 2030, including three in what should be a strong 2025 draft. When the Suns acquired Durant, it gave up Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Jae Crowder and four unprotected first round picks. The Suns own the 22nd pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, but after that any Suns first round pick over the next seven years will be determined through pick swaps.

Despite being swept in the first round, the Suns are in a contending phase, so picks may not be of the upmost importance to them. However, by trading Durant to Oklahoma City, they could recoup draft capital and package them in another win-now move that better fits their current roster. They may be targeting a point guard or more 3-and-D players. Lu Dort has emerged into one of the league's best wing defenders, as he showed as the primary defender on both Brandon Ingram and Luka Doncic in the playoffs. He also shot a career-high 39% from 3 this season.

Josh Giddey's usefulness to a contender was put into question when he saw his playing time reduced in the playoffs as teams sagged off him. However, he is still a high-level passer, who averaged over six assists per game over his first two seasons. A younger point guard option is Cason Wallace, the 10th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Wallace played off-ball more this season, usually with either Gilgeous-Alexander or Giddey on the floor, but he averaged over four assists per game in his lone season at Kentucky. He also has shown signs of being a high-level defender.

Why It Makes Sense for Durant

Durant is still booed when he returns to Oklahoma City, but he led the Thunder to the NBA Finals in 2012 and within a game in 2016. By returning, he could help the franchise win their first championship in Oklahoma City, a bit similar to his friend LeBron James going back to Cleveland after his stint in Miami. That would certainly mend any old wounds with fans still bitter about him leaving for Golden State. If his relationship with Thunder fans is fixed, that would also cement Durant's #35 jersey being retired in Oklahoma City, which he still strongly desires.

A third title for Durant would be his first outside of Golden State.  A roster built around Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams, and Holmgren would still be considered stacked. However, Durant could be considered the veteran that helps the Thunder get over the top. That may help Durant earn more respect in the basketball community. Lastly, Durant's enshrinement to the Basketball Hall of Fame is only a matter of time, but he would join an exclusive group of with a third championship. Durant would join Michael Jordan as the only players with at least three scoring titles and three NBA titles. In the process, he would be bringing his career full circle by winning in Oklahoma City.

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