Kevin Durant faces an unsure future heading into the summer season whether or not he admits it proper now or not.
The Phoenix Suns‘ makes an attempt to re-shape their squad led to discussions being held behind the scenes over Kevin Durant’s future.
And whereas talks with the Timberwolves have been subsequently dismissed as fanciful, the injury could also be achieved for Kevin Durant.
The Suns are enduring a disappointing season, at present rating eleventh within the Western Convention heading out of the All-Star break. And if that continues, the temptation for Phoenix to explode their roster may very well be extra interesting, whereas Durant is much more more likely to need a recent begin.
Kevin Durant signed with the Phoenix Suns following a stint with the Brooklyn Nets. That got here after three seasons with the Golden State Warriors, who he controversially joined in 2016, occurring to win two NBA titles.
The workforce Durant left was the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, who have been a perennial contender whereas he was there, and have needed to rebuild since he left.
Now in 2024-25, OKC ranks first within the Western Convention, and seem equipped for a giant run within the post-season.
Now, Stephen A. Smith is asking for OKC GM Sam Presti to unwind historical past and use their appreciable commerce belongings to strike a deal for Kevin Durant, to carry him again.
He additionally believes that for Phoenix, the chance to take care of OKC may very well be a best-case state of affairs.
He defined: “Sam Presti appears to know methods to do all the things as an government, besides win a championship.
“Know what I’d do should you Oklahoma Metropolis? I do know he left Oklahoma Metropolis, similar to he left Golden State, really just a little bit worse than that, as a result of he was up 3-1 within the Western Convention, misplaced to the Golden State Warriors, after which joined them a month later. I get all that, however that was a very long time in the past, bygones be bygones.
“Who has extra belongings to supply than the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder?
“If I’m Phoenix, I attain out to Oklahoma Metropolis to attempt to get a few of these belongings this summer season.
“As a result of if I [as Sam Presti] pull that off, and I obtained Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander with KD and Jalen Williams, and I nonetheless preserve Chet Holmgren as nicely, and presumably Hartenstein, you undoubtedly speaking that championship at Oklahoma Metropolis.”
The Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder possess 32 draft picks by means of the 2031 season, an enviable assortment they’ve managed to build up by means of the years.
These are made up of 15 first spherical picks and 17 second spherical picks.
At some stage OKC will wish to put a few of these collectively and make a transfer. Do they should proper now? In all probability not.
In the summertime, maybe. It can rely upon how the post-season goes. Whether or not they would select to place them in the direction of a 36-year-old Kevin Durant, is much more questionable.
However Durant’s expertise and know-how might turn into the one factor OKC are missing, and that’s the place theoretically, it really works, should you take the emotion out of it.