Kevin Durant Needs an NBA Home, and It's Going to Be Seattle

Before I get into this any deeper, let me just say, Kevin Durant is one of the greatest basketball players ever. He’s been an athlete I’ve looked up to and, in a way, related to. All he’s wanted to do is play this sport. He’s a guy that, in my opinion, does seem a bit socially isolated. He doesn’t come across as someone who really enjoys going out. He kind of just likes to get shots up, and in a lot of ways I relate to that. He’s one of the athletes I’ve raised watching, and I’ve loved his game for a long time.

Like I said, he’s one of the greatest players in NBA history and might be the greatest scorer ever when it’s all said and done. But he does have one of the most complicated legacies in NBA history. There’s no doubt he’s an MVP and a two-time champion, but unlike other players of his calibre, there’s not really a fan base right now that is going to fully embrace him when he’s done.

He burned the bridge with the Oklahoma City Thunder when he left in 2016 to join the Golden State Warriors. Then in the Golden State, yes, it’s where he won his two championships and two Finals MVPs, but at the same time, it kind of felt like he was a hired gun. He was never truly the face of that team. The fan base was always connected to Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.

With the Brooklyn Nets, we all know that was a disaster. He was coming off a torn Achilles and still nearly carried them to the conference finals. Who knows what happens if a couple things go differently. But it didn’t happen.

Then he goes to the Phoenix Suns, spends a couple years there, and now he’s with the Houston Rockets. The Rockets started the season strong, but since the All-Star break, they’ve been inconsistent.

And now I’ve already started thinking about 2028, when his contract is up. I fully expect him to leave Houston as well, which would once again mean another situation where he doesn’t leave on the best terms with a fan base.

So this brings me to what I think his final move should be.

This week, it was revealed that the NBA is starting the expansion process to bring teams to Seattle and Las Vegas, likely beginning in the 2028-2029 season.

I fully expect that when the Seattle SuperSonics return, Kevin Durant will be wearing that jersey.

It’s where he started his career. It’s a city that would embrace him. It’s a fan base that would appreciate him coming back and helping build something from the ground up.

I wouldn’t even be surprised if, when he retires, he joins the ownership group in some way. Because I think he needs this. He needs a city. He needs a fan base. He needs somewhere in the NBA to call home.

And I think that place is Seattle.

He would be known as one of the players who helped bring the SuperSonics back and helped set the foundation for that franchise moving forward. He would be the culture setter there, and even after his playing career, I could see him being an ambassador for that team.

Like I said, this feels like the final move. And honestly, it just makes too much sense.