If you thought that LeBron James’ return to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014 was improbable, next summer may just have another thing coming for you.
Appearing Tuesday on hoops writer Jeff Goodman’s “Good N Plenty” podcast, Yahoo! Sports’ Chris Mannix discussed Kevin Durant’s impending free agency in 2019 and said that he believes a return to the Oklahoma City Thunder could be possible for the superstar forward.
“The relationship between Kevin Durant and Oklahoma City was never really torched,” said Mannix. “Oklahoma City always said the right things about him, and they always did right by him publicly.
“And the relationship between Durant and Russell Westbrook, while not being great by any stretch, is probably — I think you’d agree — as good as it’s been since he left Oklahoma City,” Mannix went on. “So all those things are gonna be factors and make me think that Oklahoma City will at least be on his list of possibilities [in free agency] next summer.”
Durant’s decision to leave the Thunder in 2016 after spending the first nine seasons of his NBA career with them has obviously worked out pretty well for him. He is coming off two straight championships and counting with the Golden State Warriors and has won back-to-back Finals MVP awards.
However, if the Warriors win a third consecutive title next season (which they are heavily favored to do), it will be fair to question what more Durant has to gain by staying put in Golden State. There’s also a unique sense of satisfaction that comes with bringing home a championship to the team that drafted you, as we saw when James returned to the Cavaliers and won them a title after already winning two with the Miami Heat.
True, some of the things Durant has done since his departure may jeopardize a potential return to OKC. But if a player of his caliber wants to return home and try to do right by delivering the first title in Thunder team history, he would surely be welcomed back by both the fans and by the organization.
H/T HoopsHype
