To this day, Kevin Durant's departure from the Oklahoma City Thunder in free agency eight years ago to form a superteam with the Golden State Warriors remains a sore spot for some fans. The Warriors' addition of Durant, for as long as health permitted, virtually guaranteed a championship, and in 2017 and 2018, it seemed rather inevitable that Golden State would end up being the last team standing — all the while robbing the league of perhaps their biggest competitor as the Thunder fielded a worse roster around Russell Westbrook following Durant's departure.

Now with the Phoenix Suns, Durant's attempt at teaming up with other stars has not gone as smoothly as planned. The Suns exited the 2024 NBA playoffs in the first round even though they completely mortgaged their future by bringing Bradley Beal in, and now, fans are wondering whether or not their disappointing play would pave the way for another Durant trade request.

One fan, in particular, wanted Kevin Durant to return to the Thunder so he could “redeem his legacy” by winning the franchise he left a championship. Moreover, the fan said that this is the way that all of Durant's sins “will be forgiven”. The Suns star, however, is not too keen on the fan's way of conveying his point. As usual, Durant took the time to respond to the fan on Twitter (X) with an ice-cold clapback.

“U ain't god. Go get ready for work,” Durant replied.

Given how much the Suns have invested in the Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal-led core, it's hard to envision them pulling the plug on that team anytime soon. They also brought in Mike Budenholzer in an attempt to get the best out of the team, so they will, at least, have another year to make things happen. But it may not be out of the realm of possibility for the Thunder to swoop in for Durant eventually as they continue to re-emerge as a powerhouse in the Western Conference.

Are fans justified in thinking that Kevin Durant's legacy is not secure?

Kevin Durant made his bombshell move to join the Warriors in 2016 to try and secure his legacy. He bought into the Warriors' system, played his best in a 1A, 1B role alongside Stephen Curry. As a result, he will never have the ignominy of retiring ringless, so in that regard, his legacy is already secure.

However, there is a more nuanced discussion revolving around the legacy of an NBA superstar that goes beyond the ring conversation. Durant's decision to leave the Thunder in free agency in 2016 isn't a terrible decision in and of itself. There were times that OKC had let him down in terms of roster-building, most especially when they let James Harden go in a trade that remains one of the most one-sided in NBA history.

But leaving the Thunder for a Warriors team that won 73 games even without his services is hard to stomach for some. Making matters worse, this was the same Warriors team that knocked them out of the 2016 NBA playoffs in heartbreaking fashion after OKC had the Dubs on the ropes in the Conference Finals with a 3-1 series lead.

Many all-time greats have switched teams via free agency, but Kevin Durant's choice to join a powerhouse team built around a player who will finish higher than him on the league's all-time totem pole instead of staying the course with the Thunder and competing for a ring as the team's bonafide number one option will forever be a point of frustration for fans.

Durant is an NBA champion, and no one can ever take that achievement away from him. He won two Finals MVP awards as well, vindicating his efforts for the Warriors. But the optics of his move will forever draw the ire of fans.

Imagining a KD-Thunder reunion

The Thunder, after a few down years, have reclaimed their position atop the Western Conference. They won 56 games this past season, being the one-seed in the process. OKC has one of the five-best players in the NBA in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the nightly 30-point threat who finished second in the MVP race this past season.

However, the Thunder exited the playoffs in the second round after succumbing to the Dallas Mavericks. This suggests that, while the Thunder are already a good team as presently constructed, there is still a ton of room for them to expand the roster's ceiling. With Gilgeous-Alexander as the lead guard, Jalen Williams as a do-it-all wing, and Chet Holmgren as a floor-spacing rim-protector, Kevin Durant would fit in nicely as an elite spot-up option, a terrific mismatch antidote, and a two-way force who gives additional rim protection.

Durant is already 35 years old, but he's still playing at a high level. His skillset makes him a perfect fit for this iteration of the Thunder. Imagine him being the man who took some of the shots Josh Giddey, Cason Wallace, Jaylin Williams, or Luguentz Dort did during the Mavericks series.

So even though Durant's relationship with the Thunder isn't the strongest, they'd be fools not to take him back should the opportunity present itself.