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Kevin Durant on Possibly Retiring with Suns: ‘I Can’t Know What’s Going to Happen’

Mike Chiari@@mikechiariX.com LogoFeatured Columnist IVFebruary 24, 2024

DALLAS, TX - FEBRUARY 22: Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns brings the ball up court during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on February 22, 2024 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images

Playing for his fourth different franchise, Phoenix Suns superstar forward and future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant recognizes that anything can happen in the NBA.

During an interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews (h/t Kevin Martorano of Sportando), Durant was asked about the possibility of spending the rest of his career in Phoenix:

KD didn’t rule it out, but he also noted that it is impossible to know how things will play out in the future.

“Right now I would say yes, but that’s just a figure of speech, I can’t know what’s going to happen,” he said. “I love playing in Phoenix, I love our fans, I love the city. … I realized what our mission is by being in the Valley and I realized how much these people care about their team. I started to understand the history of the Phoenix Suns and I am happy to be a part of it. One day, I would like to receive the franchise’s Ring of Honor.”

Durant, 35, is in the midst of his 16th NBA season and his first full season with the Suns after they acquired him from the Brooklyn Nets during the 2022-23 campaign.

The 14-time All-Star, four-time scoring champion, two-time NBA champion, two-time NBA Finals MVP and one-time NBA MVP is one of the most prolific offensive players in league history.

Durant averages 27.3 points per game for his career, and his 28,296 career points scored are 11th on the NBA’s all-time list.

He enjoyed his greatest individual success during his nine seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder organization, but in three seasons with the Golden State Warriors, he reached the NBA Finals three times, won two titles and won two NBA Finals MVP Awards as well.

The Nets hoped to vie for multiple championships with a core of Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden, but it never worked out due primarily to injuries, so Brooklyn shipped him to Phoenix last season.

Now, the Suns have a “Big 3” of their own with Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, and despite only being in eighth place in the Western Conference with a 33-24 record this season, they figure to be championship contenders if they can stay healthy.

Durant has only missed seven games this season and is averaging 28.1 points per contest, so he figures to have plenty of high-level basketball left in him.

He is under contract with the Suns through at least the 2025-26 season, but there is no telling where his career will take him after that.

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