If you’re looking for a quick answer, here it is: Kevin Durant was drafted in 2007. But honestly, just saying "2007" doesn't even come close to covering how wild that year actually was for basketball. It was a weird, transitional time for the NBA. The league was moving away from the "bruiser" era and into something faster, but most GMs were still stuck in the past. You had this skinny kid from Texas who looked like he’d blow over in a light breeze, and everyone was losing their minds over whether he could actually survive a professional season.
I remember the vibe back then. It wasn't like today where a guy with KD's build is considered the "ideal" modern wing. In 2007, his frame was a massive red flag for the "old school" scouts.
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The Night Everything Changed: June 28, 2007
On a Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, the Seattle SuperSonics (yep, they were still in Seattle) selected Kevin Durant with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.
It’s one of those "sliding doors" moments in sports history. If the lottery balls had landed differently, or if one GM had a different philosophy, the entire landscape of the NBA for the next two decades would have been unrecognizable.
Why wasn't he No. 1?
It seems insane now, right? How do you pass on Kevin Durant? But you have to understand the context of the time. The Portland Trail Blazers had the first pick, and they chose Greg Oden out of Ohio State.
Oden was a 7-foot monster who played like a throwback to the 90s. He was supposed to be the next Shaq or David Robinson. People called him a "can't-miss" prospect. Meanwhile, Durant was coming off a legendary freshman season at the University of Texas where he averaged 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds. He was the first freshman ever to win the Naismith College Player of the Year award.
The debate was everywhere. Every sports talk show was screaming about "The Big vs. The Wing."
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- The Case for Oden: You can't teach height. Dominant centers win championships.
- The Case for Durant: He’s 6'9" (at the time) with the handles and shot of a shooting guard. He’s a "unicorn" before that word was even a thing.
Portland went with the big man. Seattle, sitting at No. 2, happily took the kid who couldn't bench press 185 pounds at the combine. Seriously—that was a real news story. People were actually worried because he failed the bench press. Look at his career now and tell me how much that mattered.
The Seattle SuperSonics Era (The "Lost" Year)
A lot of younger fans forget that KD actually played a full season in a Sonics jersey. He didn't just show up; he dominated.
Basically, the Sonics knew they were rebuilding. On draft night, they traded away their legendary Ray Allen to the Celtics. They cleared the deck. It was the "KD Show" from day one.
His rookie stats were kind of ridiculous:
- 20.3 points per game
- 4.4 rebounds
- 2.4 assists
- NBA Rookie of the Year (2008)
He joined LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony as the only teenagers in history to average 20+ points for a season at that point. But he wasn't just a scorer; he was a sign of things to come. He was playing shooting guard for a lot of that year because the Sonics had other "bigs," which is hilarious to think about now considering he’s nearly seven feet tall.
The Move to Oklahoma City
The year Kevin Durant got drafted was also the beginning of the end for basketball in Seattle. By the time he started his second season, the team had moved to Oklahoma City and rebranded as the Thunder.
It’s one of the great "what ifs." If the team stays in Seattle, do they still draft Russell Westbrook in 2008 and James Harden in 2009? Probably. The core of that OKC dynasty was actually built through the draft picks Seattle (led by GM Sam Presti) secured right at the end of their tenure.
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Why 2007 Still Matters
When you look back at that draft class, it's pretty top-heavy. Aside from KD, you had guys like Al Horford (No. 3), Mike Conley (No. 4), and Joakim Noah (No. 9). These guys became the backbone of the league for over a decade.
But 2007 is defined by the Durant/Oden split. It’s the ultimate cautionary tale for NBA scouts. Oden’s career was tragically cut short by knee injuries, while Durant became a four-time scoring champ, an MVP, and a two-time champion.
What most people get wrong
People love to clown Portland for the Oden pick. Honestly? I think that's a bit unfair. At the time, almost every single team in the league would have taken Oden. The "Center is King" mentality was still very much alive. Durant was seen as a gamble because of his weight.
He proved that skill and length trump raw strength every single time.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors
If you're a basketball nerd or a card collector, the 2007 draft year is your "holy grail" for KD.
- The Rookie Card Hunt: Look for 2007-08 Topps or Upper Deck cards. The "Topps Chrome" rookie is the one everyone wants. Just be careful—because of the Seattle-to-OKC move, his early cards are all in that iconic green and yellow.
- Watch the Tape: If you’ve only seen "Suns KD" or "Warriors KD," go find old highlights of his Texas days or his rookie year in Seattle. He was way more explosive and "bouncy" back then. It's a completely different style of dominance.
- Understand the "Unicorn" Evolution: Use KD’s 2007 draft as a case study for how the NBA has changed. We don't care about bench press numbers anymore; we care about wingspan and "switchability." KD was the blueprint for the modern NBA player.
Next time someone asks what year Kevin Durant was drafted, tell them 2007—but make sure to mention that it was the year the NBA finally realized that being skinny doesn't mean you can't be a killer on the court.
To see how his game has evolved since that 2007 debut, you can check out his career statistical progression on Basketball-Reference or dive into the NBA's official archive of his rookie season highlights.