Kevin Durant wants to play entire career, retire with Oklahoma City
April 1, 2015 - 10:09 am

Dec 14, 2014; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) handles the ball against Phoenix Suns center Miles Plumlee (22) during the third quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. (Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports)

Mar 16, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (left) and guard Russell Westbrook (0) and forward Perry Jones (right) react on the bench during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. (Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports)

Mar 16, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) reacts during the game against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. (Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports)

Mar 11, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) warms up prior to the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Chesapeake Energy Arena. (Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports)

Mar 5, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) warms up prior to a game against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center. (Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports)

Mar 5, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) warms up prior to a game against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center. (Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports)

Feb 19, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) handles the ball against Dallas Mavericks guard Rajon Rondo (9) during the first quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. (Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports)

Dec 12, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) looks on during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. The Thunder defeated the Timberwolves 111-92. (Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports)
Oklahoma City Thunder star forward Kevin Durant said he wants to stay with the team for his entire career in commenting about his future free agency.
“I love it here, man. I love my teammates, I love the city, I don’t really think about anywhere else,” Durant told Revolt TV in a recent interview, according to ESPN.com. “I hear it all the time, don’t get me wrong, and once you hear it you’re kind of like (looks up, thinking). But for me, I love staying in the moment, and I’m one of those guys that would love to stick it out with one team my whole career.
“Kobe (Bryant), Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki type. That’s awesome,” he said. “But you never know what the future holds sometimes and how teams may feel about you after a while, but I love it here and I would love to get my jersey retired here.”
Durant underwent surgery Tuesday and is expected to be sidelined four to six months following a bone graft procedure performed in New York.
Durant missed the first 17 games of the season after undergoing surgery in October to repair a fracture in the foot. He underwent another procedure last month to help alleviate pain in the foot — the screw that was set in the fifth metatarsal (the long bone on the outside of his foot) was rubbing against his cuboid bone, producing soreness.
The 26-year-old Durant has only one more season remaining until his much-anticipated free agency in the summer of 2016. The Thunder will be able to offer Durant both an extra year and more money than any other team by virtue of holding his so-called Bird rights.
Durant was drafted second overall by the Oklahoma City franchise in 2007 — when it was the Seattle SuperSonics. The team then moved to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder in 2008.
Durant has spent eight seasons with the organization, winning four scoring titles and an MVP award while appearing in three of the past four Western Conference finals and the NBA Finals in 2012.
Durant averaged 25.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists in just 27 games this season. He has averaged 27.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists in his career.