The NBA analysis proposes the Kevin Durant trade that gives the Oklahoma City Thunder an opportunity to form a dynasty for years to come.
The OKC Thunder has the opportunity to win its first NBA Championship since moving out of Seattle. It could mark the beginning of a new era in the history of the franchise.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has set a record in the NBA Finals where he could hardly expect him to achieve ahead of the series.
Of course, this series is not over. Even Jalen Williams said lightning must improve as the NBA Finals progress.
But have you ever said, if the Indiana Pacers can pull the upset away, if Gary Payton wins on the road, where will the lightning go from there?
Well, we believe the former star move can take them to unruly levels for years to come.
If Thunder doesn’t win the NBA Championship, they should consider recalibrating the roster by making Kevin Durant’s move.
Durant is almost guaranteed to leave the Sun, so why not go back to the team that will play first in the NBA and compete for the championship? Possible transactions between the two sides could be:
- Oklahoma City Thunder Receive: Kevin Durant
- Phoenix Sands receive: Chet Holmgren, Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins, Nikola Topic, Oousmane Dieng, 2026 Firstround Pick (UTA), 2027 Firstround Pick (LAC – Swap Rights)
This deal will get the Thunder a great scoring outlet that can be the first or second option for the team, depending on Shy Gilgas Alexander’s approach.
Jalen Williams can also take the back seat and offer scores as a third option while providing excellent defense.
Plus, 6’10 Kevin Durant is a few inches shorter than Chet Holmgren, who stands at 7’1”, so lightning doesn’t lose much of its size in the power forward position.
As for the Phoenix Suns, they’ll be excited by the assets they’ve earned here. The Sands gave up on choosing with many talents for Durant.
Chet Holmgren was the second overall pick in the NBA Draft just a few years ago. And playing two full seasons on a competitive roster, he learned how to play the winning basketball brand.
At just 23 years old, he can develop into a superstar-level player as the Suns rebuild around Devin Booker.
Using other assets, perhaps the Sands are trying to move in search of more picks while leaning completely towards rebuilding players like Lugenzdort, Osmanedien and Aaron Wiggins.
Nicola’s topic could be a fundamental piece for the next few years, as he is only 19 years old. And of course, two important first round picks from the Utah Jazz and the Raclippers will allow the Suns to become active names in the NBA Draft over the next two years.
Kevin Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder to fans’ criticism in 2016. Since then, sour emotions on both sides appear to have diminished.
Durant highly praises this current Thunder team. So the chance to join them and play high-level basketball with them will certainly be a dream.
Most importantly, KD achieves the goals he had when he joined the NBA and allows him to win the championship in the franchise that drafted him.
The Thunder is currently not one of the top destinations to land Durant this offseason. However, the likelihood of failure in the NBA Finals allows them to move in this direction.
You’d imagine this would be Durant’s final stint in his career. And it’s a better way to establish a dynasty and go than competing for multiple championships even if you haven’t won.