When it comes to 17-year NBA veteran Kevin Durant, a few things are certain. He’s one of the best scoring forwards of all time, a two-time Finals MVP and a 14-time All-Star. And since he’s entered the league, he’s become something of an NBA nomad.
Where is Durant’s NBA home?
If someone posed this question, how would you answer? For his contemporaries, it’s clear. For Steph Curry, it’s Golden State. For LeBron, it’s Cleveland (despite playing for a trio of teams). It's easy for Hall-of-Famers like Larry Bird (Boston), Magic Johnson (Los Angeles) and Michael Jordan (Chicago). But for Durant, what’s the correct response?
In a podcast on April 29, NBA scribe Zach Lowe called Durant a “wayward soul” in the league. And it’s true. The former Rookie of the Year, MVP and two-time champion has played for five teams and earned each of those accolades on different franchises. And while it could be seen as admirable how he responds to critics on social media, it can also come off as strange for him to do so. Despite the talent, the skills and accolades, does he not feel secure enough to let the rabble prattle on? At times, Durant can seem like one of those skeleton warriors from Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, waiting for a deep exhale, for his basketball soul to be set free.
But if that's so, where will his basketball spirit finally come to a place of ultimate relaxation? The answer, it seems, is Seattle, Washington. In a recent article, former SuperSonics legend Spencer Haywood said of Durant: "[T]here’s some sneaky stuff going on that I can’t talk about because it’s private. But I wouldn’t be surprised if I see him in a Sonics uniform [again]."
Further, Durant was asked in February if he’d like to be part of a rebooted Sonics franchise after his career, as rumors of expansion in Seattle persist. And Durant, who was drafted No. 2 by the Sonics in 2007, replied very much in the affirmative.
"Without a doubt, without a doubt,” he said. “I feel like that franchise, for one, is a iconic brand within the NBA. I feel like that market is a basketball market that needs the influence of an NBA team in that city.
"I believe it will be back. I believe it will be part of expansion in the league and to help run the team and help guide the team as they come back into the league. I would absolutely love that. When I retire, obviously, that’s a dream come true."
Today, of course, Durant is under contract with the Phoenix Suns, the team he was traded to a year-and-a-half ago after the failed experiment with Kyrie Irving, James Harden and the Brooklyn Nets. But Phoenix just got swept in the first round and fired its coach, Frank Vogel. New hire Mike Budenholzer will be KD's fourth coach in a year-and-a-half. While Durant said he loved it there early on, is Phoenix his long-term home? It's worth noting that Durant will be a free-agent in the summer of 2026.
With the NBA nearing the completion of its new media-rights deal and the possibility of NBA expansion in Seattle likely coming to fruition shortly after, the team and the end of Durant’s current deal could line up perfectly. He is, after all, the same guy who showed up in Seattle during a preseason game between his then-team, the Golden State Warriors, and Los Angeles Clippers wearing a Shawn Kemp jersey, eliciting a giant swell of applause from fans. He has also returned to Seattle to play in Jamal Crawford's CrawsOver pro-am. While he mentioned that he would love to join the Sonics after he retires, is it possible he finishes his playing days in Seattle as well?
Drafted by Seattle, Durant remains a favorite basketball son in the city where, many locals would say, the team was stolen and sent to Oklahoma City. And while Durant played in OKC for eight years, earning seven All-Star nods, the place insulted him upon his departure in 2016 when he left for rival Golden State. Former Thunder teammate Russell Westbrook, along with seemingly the entire municipality, dubbed him a “cupcake.” And even if all that were to be water under the bridge, OKC has a burgeoning young team that might even win the championship this season (or soon). Would they want — or need — a mid-30s Durant?
Maybe Durant would join a sixth team if he ever leaves Phoenix. And maybe that place would be where his hoops soul would be fulfilled, where his basketball spirit would be its happiest. Maybe it’s Washington D.C., where he was born. But if he wanted that, then why not go there in 2016 with the cap spike when the team was good with a younger Bradley Beal and John Wall? If you go down the list, there aren’t a lot of great options if he should ever leave Phoenix.
Except Seattle.
That’s where his NBA journey began. Just look how the crowd cheered for him and the team during their last game in 2008. That’s basketball family. What if he came back home after nearly two decades? Durant returning as a basketball hero, bringing credibility to the expansion Sonics. Today, people still wear Durant jerseys in the city. Seattle’s unofficial team store Simply Seattle keeps a ton of Durant merch in stock. He’s the star the city never really got to root for, never got to see grow up. Imagine Durant, Westbrook and Harden in Seattle, carrying on the legacy of Gary Payton, Detlef Schrempf and Shawn Kemp? That was ripped from the city, but Durant could bring part of it back with one signature as a free agent.
Maybe Jeff Green would come back with Durant, too, finishing out his illustrious career with his 2007 draftmate. Maybe the team would make Durant a part-owner like LeBron James wants to be with the presumed Las Vegas franchise on the horizon. There are so many options when it comes to the idea of Durant returning to Seattle.
Durant may never win another scoring title or NBA championship, but he could become Pacific Northwest royalty as part of the SuperSonics. While Durant won Rookie of the Year in Seattle in 2008, he could become a king in Seattle if he ever chose to return. And maybe he'd be able to feel at home that way, too.
