Stephen A. Smith Says Thunder Should Trade For 1 NBA Superstar

Trade speculation continues to follow Kevin Durant, even after the Phoenix Suns kept the superstar forward through the deadline.

With the Suns struggling and their playoff hopes dimming, discussions about a potential summer shake-up have intensified, leading to intriguing possibilities for Durant’s future.

ESPN pundit Stephen A. Smith recently highlighted one compelling destination.

“Who has more assets to offer than the Oklahoma City Thunder?” Smith said, via Legion Hoops. “If I’m Phoenix, I reach out to Oklahoma City to try to get some of those assets this summer. Because if I pull that off and I got Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with KD and Jalen Williams and still keep Chet Holmgren as well? And possibly [Isaiah] Hartenstein? You [are] definitely talking [about winning] a championship in Oklahoma City, then. And they definitely got the assets to do it.”

Stephen A. Smith says the Thunder should trade for Kevin Durant:

“Who has more assets to offer than the OKC?… If I’m Phoenix, I reach out to OKC to try to get some of those assets this summer. Because if I pull that off and I got SGA with KD and Jalen Williams and still keep… pic.twitter.com/ldUNWUzrKI

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 21, 2025

Durant’s history with Oklahoma City adds layers of intrigue to this possibility.

Selected No. 2 in the 2007 NBA Draft, following the franchise relocation he rapidly emerged as the Thunder’s cornerstone, guiding the team to the 2012 NBA Finals and earning NBA MVP honors in 2014.

The 2016 season marked a turning point when Oklahoma City came agonizingly close to another NBA Finals appearance, only to lose to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals.

What followed still resonates in NBA circles, with Durant’s shocking decision to join the Warriors resulting in two championships and leaving a complicated legacy in Oklahoma City.

Now, nearly a decade later, the prospect of Durant returning to complete unfinished business with the Thunder has evolved from unthinkable to surprisingly plausible, offering a potential full-circle moment in his storied career.

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