Does KD need to return to OKC to cement his NBA legacy?

Now that it is the slowest time of the year news-wise for the NBA, it’s the perfect time for fans to think back to their favorite team’s best era of basketball. For the Oklahoma City Thunder faithful, while today’s Bricktown boys can help the franchise reach its most successful state ever, the era of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook will forever be enshrined as a rich memory in Thunder history.

The dynamic duo was unlike any other at the time, a pair of peerless scorers, one — Westbrook — with his explosiveness, and the other — Durant — with a nearly unblockable jump shot.

OKC rattled off 57 wins a season ago, confirming the start of something special and convincing even the most nostalgic Thunder fans to look at all the green grass that’s ahead of the franchise. KD, unlike Russ, may have left on sour terms, but in many ways, his name has been linked off and on to today’s roster.

Thinking about the unthinkable

Thanks to Oklahoma City’s burgeoning star firepower, many fans have evaluated the hypothetical scenario of what the team — with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams — would look like with Durant on the roster. It sounds amazing; picturing KD with a young championship contender encourages plenty of “what ifs.”

With the former league MVP still near the peak of his powers, recently winning a gold medal, all while becoming the most decorated player in Olympic men’s basketball history, not everyone is ready to close the door on a potential Durant-OKC reunion before the future Hall of Famer retires.

Recently, The Score’s Joseph Casciaro pictured his seven most-desirable trade scenarios, and yes, you guessed it — KD back to Oklahoma City was one of the blockbusters.

“Devin Booker should remain the [Phoenix Suns’] franchise cornerstone. And even if Bradley Beal waived his no-trade clause, his toxic contract makes him a negative-value asset. That leaves KD as Phoenix’s most tradable star. And the Slim Reaper’s legendary skill set makes him an easy fit on virtually any roster. My favorite hypothetical, though? How about KD helping the young Thunder finish what he started in OKC?” said Casciaro.

Durant will forever be an Oklahoma City icon, responsible for making the franchise popular in Bricktown and leading it to the first measures of success. The four-time scoring champion took the Thunder to the playoffs in just his third season, when he netted over 30 points per game in the regular season at just 21 years old.

He also led the team to its only NBA Finals appearance in 2012, and won the MVP award two seasons later, which cemented his place in Thunder history.

Discussion about Durant’s return to OKC has always been there, partially because he has been highly complimentary of the team’s current state. In 2022, the franchise icon gushed praise for his former team on an episode of “Boardroom.”

“They got some solid basketball players over there,” he said. “[...] Lu Dort [is a] solid ball player. [It’s] the reason why he got paid. Josh Giddey is a solid ball player [and] will get paid once his rookie deal is up. [Former Thunder guard Aleksej] Pokusevski is six-foot-nine and can shoot it. These dudes are good players over there. … Once [Chet Holmgren] comes back, it’s going to be ridiculous over there.”

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