Rumors have been circulating for months that Oklahoma City Thunder star and reigning MVP Kevin Durant may want to return to his hometown Washington Wizards when he hits free agency in 2016. Everything that has been said on the topic has been pure speculation so far. But Grantland's Brian Phillips laid out an interesting and believable storyline that could lead to Durant's return.
"But he [Durant] hits free agency in less than two years," Phillip s wrote. "LeBron just moved back to Cleveland. There are non-crazy scenarios that would see Durant giving up Oklahoma City's vibrant culture and exciting nightlife for a less appealing coastal city. He could, for instance, go back home to Washington, D.C., his personal Cleveland."
Durant has said how impressed he was with James' decision to return home and has routinely expressed affection towards his birthplace. Durant remains a fan of the Washington Redskins and is a presence in the D.C. area.
Complicating matters further is Durant's recent foot injury, set to sideline him for six to eight weeks.
"Say KD doesn't recover as fast as he's supposed to. Jones fractures - a break in the metatarsal behind the little toe - are a little trickier than some other types of foot injury, because the area where the fracture occurs receives a very small blood supply, limiting healing. If Durant is slower coming back than we (sort of optimistically) currently expect, what does that do to the Thunder's postseason hopes? It's not as though OKC's management, which has a famously non-spendy relationship with money, is going to solve this with bold personnel moves. And say the season turns out to be disappointing, or even wasted. Durant has had a charmed career in almost every way. But there's been a lingering sense in some quarters that the Thunder are too small a franchise to win a championship. Doesn't a setback season this year just underscore the idea that they'll never get him enough help? Doesn't he start to think a little more seriously about leaving at that point?"
The Thunder will most likely survive Durant's absence. There is no reason to believe they cannot be competitive for 15-20 games with Russell Westbrook leading the way. But basketball has a funny way of bucking trends and defying expectations. To not at least consider the possibility would be foolish.
"My point is that the Thunder team we've known for the last few years is a mechanism that works largely because Kevin Durant's presence has so much regulating force. Take that away, and suddenly predicting the future isn't as simple as circling the day on the calendar when he comes back... We haven't yet seen the team undergo a major shift in character, but it will happen - if not now, if not in two years, then eventually. Nothing lasts forever in sports, or even for very long."
