You might have heard about Kevin Durant‘s recent trade request. A few teams have been linked heavily as potential landing spots for the future Hall of Famer, a list that does not include his hometown Washington Wizards.
Reports suggest the Wizards are well outside of the few teams Durant would like to land with. It makes sense, given his preferred destinations are all borderline contenders at minimum, even without him. So, could things change enough that KD opens up to at least the idea of joining the Wizards?
It can’t be fully ruled out, even though it’s without a doubt a massive longshot. For now, the top organizations and teams seem to be who Durant will happily play for. That might change as the situation unfolds, though.
Kevin Durant and the Wizards Could be Perfect for Each Other
No one can be confident predicting what Durant will do next. That has proven to be the case dating back to his Oklahoma City departure. For that reason, a team that might have interest and has some connection to the star player shouldn’t fully be ruled out.
The Wizards would likely love to have Durant, regardless of the price. He would finally give Bradley Beal an elite-level teammate that fits seamlessly with him on the floor.
Besides Durant’s Washington connection, there could be added appeal that goes deeper than that. If he is concerned at all with legacy repairing or re-writing, Washington is arguably the perfect spot for him to win in the later stages of his career.
If KD can be convinced teaming up with Beal would give him a shot at winning another championship, it becomes pretty reasonable to think he might consider the idea. He could go down as a hero in the area he is from.
Durant was born in Suitland, Maryland, not very far from the nation’s capital. The Wizards have been stuck in purgatory for so many years now it’s hard for many basketball fans to picture the organization anywhere else but in the middle of the standings.
Imagine how KD could cement his basketball status by elevating the franchise with lifelong Wizard Bradley Beal by his side. It would be quite the turnaround for both Durant and the Wizards.
It also isn’t hard to see why the pairing of those two stars would be impossible to stop on the court. Both Beal and Durant are scorers like few players in the league today. If Beal proves last season was an outlier in terms of his shooting, which seems likely, a Kevin Durant Bradley Beal duo would form one of the best offensive pairings in the entire NBA.
It’s not likely we see Kevin Durant warm up to the idea of a Wizards homecoming, but there’s at least a sliver of hope for Wizards fans who want to see him play in Washington.