Sports
Imagining Journeymen NBA Stars On the Teams That Drafted Them – Bleacher Report
NBA stars coming home or ending their careers with the franchises where they got their start can be a fun, full-circle story. Think Allen Iverson with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2009-10 or Scottie Pippen with the Chicago Bulls in 2003-04.
The problem is, these players often come back far too late in their careers for them to still make a significant impact.
Instead, though, imagine what it would look like if today’s Kevin Durant returned to a young, up-and-coming Oklahoma City Thunder team. How cool would it be for a Paul George reunion with the Indiana Pacers? Think about LeBron James returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014-15.
Let’s jump into 2K mode for the next few minutes, exploring what veteran NBA stars would look like today on the team that drafted them, and if a reunion could actually happen…
How it Started
George was selected No. 10 overall in 2010, spending seven seasons in Indiana before being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017 for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis.
How George and the Pacers Would Work
While the trade that sent George to OKC ended up working out well for both teams, getting the now-33-year-old wing back to Indiana would actually make a lot of sense.
There are franchise pillars already in place here with All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton locked in at point guard for the next six years. Bennedict Mathurin is going into Year 2 after averaging 16.7 points per game as a rookie, and Myles Turner was awarded with a two-year extension and some extra instant cash during a career-best season in 2022-23.
Adding a premier wing in George would be a perfect fit, as he’s coming off an eighth All-Star season with averages of 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.5 steals.
While Indiana doesn’t project to be more than a play-in team this season, adding a star like George to this core would instantly bump them up to being a playoff lock in the East.
Could a Reunion Happen?
Actually, yes.
George only has one guaranteed year left on his contract with the Los Angeles Clippers, although it’s hard to imagine he’ll not pick up his $48.8 million player option for 2024-25.
The Pacers could open up $37 million worth of cap space by declining team options on Bruce Brown, Daniel Theis and Isaiah Jackson alone, and they will have just one player (Haliburton) earning over $20 million.
If George concedes that the partnership between him and Kawhi Leonard simply isn’t going to work due to availability concerns, a return to Indiana with Haliburton, Turner, Mathurin and others is a really interesting idea.
How it Started
Butler was selected No. 30 overall in 2011, spending six seasons in Chicago before being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2017 with Justin Patton for Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen and Kris Dunn.
How Butler and the Bulls Would Work
From averaging 2.6 points per game as a rookie to becoming one of the NBA’s best players and a three-time All-Star, Butler had a memorable run in Chicago.
For a team that is now stuck in mediocrity, the franchise could use someone like the Houston native for his skill set and passion to pull it out of the mud.
With LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, this is a wing-heavy Chicago side that ranked fifth overall in defense last season (112.5 rating). We’d likely see a lot of Butler running point guard for the Bulls, which are still without an answer at the position as they wait for Lonzo Ball’s possible return in 2024-25.
Butler, who will be 34 in September, wouldn’t be a perfect fit on this roster, although building a team full of big, playmaking wings does sound like a recipe for success in today’s NBA.
Could a Reunion Happen?
Unless the Miami Heat fail to trade for Damian Lillard this summer and they stumble back toward the middle of the conference, it’s hard to imagine Butler showing any signs of wanting to leave South Florida.
He’s led the Heat to two NBA Finals appearances in four years, making two All-Star and three All-NBA teams in the process. He is still under contract for the next two seasons with a $52.4 million player option in 2025-26.
Chicago can dream, but Butler seems destined to stay in Miami, possibly for the remainder of his career.
How it Started
Leonard was selected No. 15 overall in 2011 in a draft-night trade with the Indiana Pacers, spending seven seasons in San Antonio before being traded to the Toronto Raptors in 2018 with Danny Green and cash for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a 2019 first-round pick.
How Leonard and the Spurs Would Work
Now this would be fascinating.
Leonard beginning his career playing with one legendary big man in Tim Duncan and ending it with another potential all-time great in Victor Wembanyama would be an unbelievable story.
From the outside it appears his relationship with Gregg Popovich is healed enough to work together once again, and the 32-year-old stated this past season that “we’ve been in too many battles to have a scar in our relationship.”
Putting Leonard and Wembanyama on the same team gives the Spurs a lockdown defense already, and there’s enough other young talent on the roster in Jeremy Sochan, Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Malaki Branham, Tre Jones and others to field a competitive roster in a few years.
Could a Reunion Happen?
Technically, yes.
No NBA team projects to have more cap space in 2024 than the Spurs, a number that could reach $55.3 million according to Spotrac’s Keith Smith. That figure is about $7 million higher than Leonard’s player option with the Los Angeles Clippers for 2024-25.
There’s been no real extension talks reported thus far between Leonard and the Clippers, leaving the door open for him to become an unrestricted free agent in 2024.
While the Spurs may not want to go all-in on a 32-year-old with a long list of injuries, Popovich is 74 and likely desires to coach a team with a real chance at a championship again. When healthy, Leonard is still one of the best players in the world.
Developing Wembanyama this season, signing Leonard as a free agent next summer and trading some of the young talent and collection of future firsts for more veteran help absolutely should be on the table for the Spurs moving forward.
How it Started
Durant was selected No. 2 overall in 2007 by the Seattle SuperSonics, spending nine seasons in Seattle/Oklahoma City before leaving to sign with the Golden State Warriors in 2016.
How Durant and the Thunder Would Work
The Thunder already have one of the best young cores in the NBA with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and others. Adding Durant to this mix as a veteran forward who finished eighth in the league in scoring with 29.1 points per night would quickly make OKC an unstoppable force in the West.
A supersized lineup with Gilgeous-Alexander, Giddey, Williams, Durant and Holmgren would be a juggernaut on offense and hold up defensively as well.
While the current Thunder team lacks playoff experience, the 13-time All-Star ranks seventh on the all-time postseason scoring list with 166 total games and two Finals MVP trophies to his name.
Durant is exactly what OKC needs to take the next step to becoming a playoff lock in the West.
Could a Reunion Happen?
Durant won’t be a free agent until 2026 and will turn 38 right before the 2026-27 season. While a lot of this Thunder core will be entering their primes around then, he will inevitably take a step back.
The best OKC can hope for is that the Durant-Devin Booker-Bradley Beal experiment fails in Phoenix and the Suns eventually put the veteran forward on the trade block. The Thunder still have more future draft picks than any NBA team and could make a huge offer for Durant if he ever becomes available.
This would be a tremendous career arc for Durant, especially if he did end his career in Oklahoma City and help win the franchise its first title since 1979.
For now, though, the Thunder will have to wait.
How it Started
James was selected No. 1 overall in 2003, spending seven seasons in Cleveland before leaving to sign with the Miami Heat in 2010. He re-signed with the Cavaliers in 2014, spending four more years with the franchise before joining the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent in 2018.
How James and the Cavs Would Work
Who says you can’t go home again, again?
James has already dedicated 11 years of his playing career to the Cavaliers and won the franchise a title in 2016, although this current core may be the most talented he’s ever played with.
Donovan Mitchell was an All-Star starter this past season and one of the best shooting guards in the NBA. Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen were both All-Stars in 2022, and Evan Mobley finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
There are a lot of role players to like here as well, a group that includes Caris LeVert, Max Strus, Georges Niang and Isaac Okoro.
Adding James as the starting small forward would make this the best team in the East, as he’s never had this amount of scoring and playmaking around him while with the Cavs.
Could a Reunion Happen?
James has stated himself that the door isn’t closed on a return to Cleveland.
The 38-year-old is under contract for one more season with the Lakers before having to make a decision on a $51.4 million player option for 2024-25.
He can become an unrestricted free agent next summer, although the Cavs aren’t going to have cap space and could only offer a non-taxpayer mid-level exception of around $13 million. That’s a lot of money for James to leave on the table, especially from a Lakers team with a revamped roster.
James’ future could still be tied to Bronny and how his career unfolds after suffering cardiac arrest during a July practice at USC. The 18-year-old would be draft-eligible in 2024 if he can resume his playing career this winter.
For now, there are no signs of James leaving the Lakers anytime soon. Cleveland’s best chance at a reunion would likely come in 2025 after he has fulfilled the final two years on his contract in L.A.