Kevin Durant playing for the Phoenix Suns in 2023. Photo by Quinn Harris via Getty Images
Kevin Durant has had an illustrious career in the NBA, but he isn’t sure when or how that tenure will come to a close. Currently playing for the Phoenix Suns, his fourth team, the future Hall-of-Famer addressed his future in the league via an interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews.
Durant was asked by Andrews if Phoenix was the team he would like to spend the rest of his career with. He did not rule it out, expressing his love for the team and city, but said he is unsure of what the future holds for him.
“Right now I would say yes, but that’s just a figure of speech. I can’t know what’s going to happen,” Durant said. “I mean, I’ve been on so many teams now and I said this before, right now in this moment today without thinking about the next minute, yeah. But that’s just saying right now and I can’t really predict what may happen. But I love playing in Phoenix, I love our fans, I love our city.”
An Illustrious History
Durant joined the Phoenix Suns in 2023 after being traded there from the Brooklyn Nets. Since that time, he has mashed with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal to output a squad who is currently 33-24 and 8th in the Western Conference. The West is packed with talent, though, so this issue hardly falls on Durant.
Kevin also specified that he would love to become part of the Phoenix Suns organization forever, by joining the team’s Ring of Honor. This is a category of elite Suns players who have had their numbers retired by the organization. Durant stated that he loves the city and team, and could see himself joining that prestigious club some day.
“I’ve grown to understand what our mission is. Being in the valley, and how deep these people care about their team,” Durant continued. “So, I started to understand the history of the Suns and I’m glad to be a part of it. I want to go up in that Ring of Honor one day, so however long that takes.”
Still Going Strong
The 35-year-old forward is in the midst of his 16th NBA season. Originally being drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics, he played one season there until the team relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder. In 2016, he was traded to the Golden State Warriors. That’s when he and Stephen Curry combined to create a dynasty in the Bay Area.
Despite being in the later portion of his career, Durant has been a bright light in Phoenix’s lineup this season. He is averaging 28.1 points per game, with 6.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists. He appears to have also shed the injury bug which has sidelined him throughout his career, as he has only missed seven games so far this season.
Now at age 35, Durant is under contract by the Suns through the 2025-26 season. At that point, he would be just under age 38. However, as mentioned in the interview, Durant expects to be able to play ball into his 40s. He hasn’t played 60 games in a season since 2019, though. Therefore, it is unknown how his body will hold up. As Durant said, only time will tell at this point.
