Could Next Season Be Kevin Durant's Farewell Tour in Oklahoma City?

During Kevin Durant’s rookie season and the months leading up to the draft he was the talk of every sports show, he was the talk of Seattle and Nike had themselves a great young talent in a market known for basketball.

In Durant’s rookie season they rewarded him with three national spots and five more local spots in Seattle. Now that he is in Oklahoma City he had no national campaigns and no local ones either. Nike wants their clients to be in the spotlight and that is not going to happen in Oklahoma City.

Durant is going to be a restricted free agent following the 2010 season and there are a lot of teams with a lot of money clearing cap space for that off season. The main prize is LeBron with Wade, Bosh, and potentially Kobe Bryant also being available.

A name that no one talks about is Kevin Durant.

Granted he’s restricted, but if you didn’t get James, Wade, Bosh, or Kobe wouldn’t you want to give Durant a go? He’s definitely worth giving up at least a first round draft pick. If I were the Knicks and I missed out on everyone else I’d make a run at him.

OKC has a lot of cap room, but the ownership doesn’t have the pockets to pay anyone superstar type money.

The Tyson Chandler trade allegedly didn’t go through because of worries about injury, but it’s funny that Chandler was out playing within two weeks and contributing to the Hornets.

Durant may love the fans in OKC, but he can’t love the turmoil in the ownership, the potential the team could move in 2014 when the lease is up with the Ford Center and chances to get closer to home and at the same time play for a championship.

In a recent chat at ESPN he doesn’t even think OKC is an NBA town!

Parker (Memphis, TN): Hey Kevin, How has the adjustment been from Seattle to Oklahoma City? Which do you view more as an “NBA city”?

Kevin Durant: I think the toughest thing is moving everything from Seattle. With Seattle having a team for so long, I think they are more of an NBA city. But the fans in Oklahoma City are great.

Durant wants to win and that is never going to happen in OKC.

That team is always going to be one of the most exciting young teams in the NBA, but that is because they are going to be a revolving door for lottery picks.

 J.A. Adande and Steven A. Smith have both recently stated that no mid to high range free agents are going to want to sign in OKC.

No current NBA players want to live there according to Steven A. Smith, especially with racial incidents that happened with Earl Watson and Jeff Green.

Durant is going to get a big money offer from a team on the verge of a championship run and he’s going to take it and Nike is going open up their checkbook to him again.

OKC enjoy Durant this season, it could be the last time he plays in an OKC uniform and you know Sam Presti will love to take a draft pick over a guy he knows won’t resign with the team.