The quick answer is: Kevin Durant has played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Golden State Warriors, the Brooklyn Nets, and right now he’s playing for the Phoenix Suns.
While the NBA used to be a static league with players staying with the same team for most (or all) of their career, those days are long gone. Now, big name players often switch organizations for various reasons. One of the best examples of that is Kevin Durant.
The tall shooting guard has undergone various shifts throughout his career. Not only has he changed teams a few times, but he’s switched in the public eye as well. The following guide will look at both of those changes, and study how they reflect on the league as a whole.
A Super Start
Durant came into the NBA during the 2007 season. He was a college phenom, putting up big numbers in all of his games, and had been in the public eye for many years before being drafted second overall by the Seattle SuperSonics.
Once a proud franchise, the organization had struggled throughout the 2000’s. They hoped that Durant wouldn’t just inject new life into their organization, but that he would bring about a new winning culture that they could ride for many years.
That sentiment held true for a long time. Paired up with Russell Westbrook and James Harden, Durant led the organization during its shift from the Seattle SuperSonics to the Oklahoma City Thunder and helped them become a perennial playoff team.
While they weren’t in Seattle anymore, the franchise thrived in Oklahoma. They only got better each year, and even earned an NBA Finals appearance during the 2010 season. That success kept up in the 2010’s, and seemed like it would go on forever.
However, in 2015 everything changed.
The Shift to Golden State
Durant had a great run with the Thunder, but his time with them ended with them during the 2015-2016 season. That year, a strong Thunder team made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals where they held a 3-1 lead against the Golden State Warriors.
Everyone, including Durant and Westbrook, thought it was the Thunder’s chance to finally get back to the NBA Championship. However, defying all odds, the Warriors came back from being down 3-1 and ended up winning the series.
Spurned by the loss, Durant realized his chance at a ring was rapidly closing. Rather than stay with the Thunder, he made the drastic move to shift teams and join up with the organization that had just beaten him in the Warriors.
Though many did not agree it was the best decision, the guard thrived in Golden State. During his time in the Bay Area, Durant proved to be almost unstoppable. He and Stephen Curry became an iconic duo who steamrolled everyone on their way to back-to-back championships.
It was everything he had hoped for in OKC. He had a great team around him, solid role players, and a platform where he could realize his winning dream. Still, all good things must come to an end.
Durant’s 2018 season, which would have been a three-preat, came to a screeching halt due to a series of injuries that sidelined the superstar for the entire season.
The Warriors didn’t win the championship that year, and animosity arose among the players. Durant wanted out. So, as he did with the Thunder, he left and went on to forge his own path.
A “New” Beginning
At the end of the 2019 season, Durant released a statement that he planned to sign with the Brooklyn Nets. That move would put him on his third franchise for his career, and he hoped it would give him a chance to win a championship without any baggage from Golden State.
The move didn’t work out. While he’s teamed up with other superstars (including Kyrie Irving and James Harden) and pushed his way to the top of the eastern conference, the Nets haven’t been able to take home the ultimate prize.
Joining the Suns
Everyone thought Durant would stay in Brooklyn and he has more time to get the ultimate prize, as he’s been able to craft his own team while in Brooklyn, it looks like he’ll stay there for the foreseeable future, if not the rest of his career.
In February 2023, the Suns acquired Kevin Durant from the Nets in a blockbuster deal.
Final Words
Once regarded as a key franchise piece, Durant is now known as a journeyman who’s been on three major franchises during his hall of fame career. While his only true postseason success came on the Warriors, he still did a great job with both the Thunder and the Nets.
Things may not have been as smooth or as easy as he wanted, but he’s had a great hall of fame career and earned two rings in his time. He may be on his way to a third, but that journey is much, much tougher than it was in the past. He still has a long way to go.
