2 Reasons Why Kevin Durant Should Come to the Wizards?
By Noel Guerra
The song “I’m Coming Home” plays throughout the arena. It is the first home game for the Washington Wizards in the 2022-23 season. Being announced last to a standing ovation is Kevin Durant. Then you wake up from that beautiful dream.
However, what if that dream became a reality?
If you haven’t heard, Kevin Durant has requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets. This request has put the NBA on notice, as one of the best players in league history is now up for trade.
There are several teams that have been linked to Durant. One team that hasn’t at the moment is his hometown team, the Washington Wizards. We would love to see Durant in a Wizards jersey, but the rumor mill has been quiet on that possibility.
As of right now the asking price is astronomically high.
https://twitter.com/TheHoopCentral/status/1542996800285462529?s=20&t=c8XKqnEK6Tf9mnZsMn66WQ
Regardless of the price, the Wizards and Durant would be a perfect pairing. The Wizards obviously would want this to happen, but Durat should as well.
Reason 1: Durant Can Do the Impossible
One of the rumored reasons for Durant potentially wanting to leave was not only the lack of success with the Nets, but also the recent championship win of the Golden State Warriors (Durant’s previous team).
The Washington Wizards have not won a title since 1978 and haven’t reached the Finals since 1979. Durant has the potential to help carry the Wizards to heights they haven’t seen in such a long time.
This franchise’s current state is one of being stuck in the mud. There aren’t enough of wins to suffice being labeled a playoff team, while not being bad enough to tank and garner draft capital. However, they do have an All-Star in Bradley Beal, who just re-signed with the Wizards on a massive extension.
Other than Beal, and a few solid supporting cast type of players, the Wizards are not close to title contention. Durant can easily change that trajectory.
The second co-star is there. A big trade with a plethora of picks and players going back to the Nets would have to happen, but it might be the risk this franchise needs to take. Beal and Durant are a perfect pairing that can be great with a perfect supporting cast around them.
Durant winning a title helps rid of the ridicule he suffers at the moment. His two rings do not count because he joined the 73-9 Warriors team. Those Warriors teams were always going to belong to Stephen Curry. Now the experiment with the Nets and Kyrie Irving has failed.
His legacy is not in question, but that is the talk on social media and television. This is an opportunity to bring a franchise out of bottom and help bring them to prominence.
Reason 2: The Storybook Ending
LeBron James has won four rings, but none of them are more important than his 2016 one. Coming back from a 3-1 series deficit is impressive, but doing it for your hometown team is what makes it beautiful. James screaming, “Cleveland, this one’s for you”, will go down as a special moment in NBA history.
That can be Durant if he comes to Washington D.C.. He was born and raised in the D.C. area. However, he did mention that he initially didn’t want to play for the Wizards back in 2016.
The biggest difference is that was free agency and this is a trade demand; also with four years remaining on his current contract. This could be the opportunity he needs.
Durant’s public perception isn’t the best, which he might not truly care about. I would say he cares at least a little about how the public looks at him and his legacy. It stings most great players.
His two titles are always going to be put up for question, which could be annoying to hear. Durant is easily one of the best players to ever play the game, but his career is at a rough patch.
The team he left has found success without him. The guy that people said owned that team won Finals MVP. His best friend on the Nets is having a stand-off with the organization. He is not happy where he is. In fact, he wasn’t happy with the Warriors either.
The Wizards would be a breath of fresh air for him. There will be expectations, but probably the lowest ones set in quite some time in his career. D.C. would simply enjoy his presence and be grateful for him suiting up in a Wizards jersey.
Sure, we would want a title, but the opportunity to be in contention is what we would want the most right now. Durant could easily come home and shape his career for the better to end it in a storybook manner.