Kevin Durant faces an uncertain future heading into the summer whether he admits it right now or not.
The Phoenix Suns‘ attempts to re-shape their squad led to discussions being held behind the scenes over Kevin Durant’s future.
And while talks with the Timberwolves were subsequently dismissed as fanciful, the damage may be done for Kevin Durant.
The Suns are enduring a disappointing season, currently ranking 11th in the Western Conference heading out of the All-Star break. And if that continues, the temptation for Phoenix to blow up their roster could be more appealing, while Durant is even more likely to want a fresh start.
Kevin Durant signed with the Phoenix Suns following a stint with the Brooklyn Nets. That came after three seasons with the Golden State Warriors, who he controversially joined in 2016, going on to win two NBA titles.
The team Durant left was the Oklahoma City Thunder, who were a perennial contender while he was there, and have had to rebuild since he left.
Now in 2024-25, OKC ranks first in the Western Conference, and appear geared up for a big run in the post-season.
Now, Stephen A. Smith is calling for OKC GM Sam Presti to unwind history and use their considerable trade assets to strike a deal for Kevin Durant, to bring him back.
He also believes that for Phoenix, the possibility to deal with OKC could be a best-case scenario.
He explained: “Sam Presti seems to know how to do everything as an executive, except win a championship.
“Know what I would do if you Oklahoma City? I know he left Oklahoma City, just like he left Golden State, actually a little bit worse than that, because he was up 3-1 in the Western Conference, lost to the Golden State Warriors, and then joined them a month later. I get all that, but that was a long time ago, bygones be bygones.
“Who has more assets to offer than the Oklahoma City Thunder?
“If I’m Phoenix, I reach out to Oklahoma City to try to get some of those assets this summer.
“Because if I [as Sam Presti] pull that off, and I got Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander with KD and Jalen Williams, and I still keep Chet Holmgren as well, and possibly Hartenstein, you definitely talking that championship at Oklahoma City.”
The Oklahoma City Thunder possess 32 draft picks through the 2031 season, an enviable collection they have managed to accumulate through the years.
These are made up of 15 first round picks and 17 second round picks.
At some stage OKC will want to put some of those together and make a move. Do they need to right now? Probably not.
In the summer, perhaps. It will depend on how the post-season goes. Whether they would choose to put them towards a 36-year-old Kevin Durant, is even more questionable.
But Durant’s experience and know-how could turn out to be the one thing OKC are lacking, and that’s where theoretically, it works, if you take the emotion out of it.
