The very real reason Kevin Durant should not want to leave the Phoenix Suns

With the NBA's trade deadline now only days away, it feels like there could be one more surprise before trading between organization stops. Already Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers has broken the internet, while the San Antonio Spurs flipping to win now mode and getting De'Aaron Fox has only gone under the radar because of that Doncic deal.

Despite being linked with Jimmy Butler for weeks now, it is Kevin Durant whose name is being brought up more frequently as we approach the end of this manic period. Not that the Phoenix Suns appear to be willing sellers, but even they have to admit that this season has not gone as they would have hoped. At 36-years-old, is now the time to get out of the Durant business?

There's a very good reason Durant himself should not want that.

As of this moment the only serious location being touted for the all-time great is a return to the Golden State Warriors. Adding further intrigue to this situation is the rumored interest the Suns have in Jonathan Kuminga. At 22-years-old he is everything owner Mat Ishbia doesn't appear to want - a long-term project player - but which they desperately need.

But should Durant actually end up heading back to San Francisco, it would be another massive blow to a legacy that has taken its fair share of digs throughout his career. Durant has never won a championship with Stephen Curry by his side, and his attempts to do so with the Brooklyn Nets and now Suns have ultimately failed.

Getting swept from the playoffs last season was the latest low - and although that is not all Durant's fault - it is another criticism that can rightly be lobbied at him. If he's not able to make it work with Devin Booker - quite literally the greatest scorer in franchise history - then what exactly does he need to do in order to scale the mountain one more time?

Which is cruel for Durant because at this point he's damned if he does, and damned if he doesn't. If he remains in Phoenix - and if we're being really honest with ourselves - a third title for him does not look likely. Not while Bradley Beal has such a big part to play here and the depth beyond their core guys is so shaky.

But if he were to head back to Golden State, he would be lambasted for running back to the last place that he was truly successful. Which is ironic because when he left the Oklahoma City Thunder to go to the Warriors in the first place, he also received a ton of backlash. Which is strange given how beloved his offensive talents are when you ask any fan about him.

Yet it is the Thunder who may hold the key to all of this, despite currently not being mentioned as a destination for Durant. Much like when LeBron James went back to the Cleveland Cavaliers and brought them a championship - if Durant could help get the Thunder over the line - all would be forgiven.

This despite Oklahoma being a much better team than the Warriors right now, and in essence he would be repeating his trick of 2016. That's the unfortunate part of this for the player though, and why timing and location are everything. Even though the Thunder are set up to win without him - while the Warriors most certainly are not - his story would feel more complete if he went to Oklahoma.

Which doesn't look like it is going to happen before the deadline and why he is best to sit tight, until the offseason at least. There is no other location in the league Durant could go that is going to enhance his legacy - something we know he really cares about - while going back to the Warriors would damage it even more. A tough spot for one of the best to ever do it to be in right now.