Former Nets Star Kevin Durant Names the Best Team He's Ever Played for 'On Paper'

Kevin Durant has played on quite a few teams during his career.

Dec 3, 2021; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) celebrates with guard Patty Mills (8) during the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

Kevin Durant has played on quite a few teams during his career.

He's had the fortune of playing alongside some of the greatest basketball players, many of whom came during his time with the Brooklyn Nets.

KD was recently asked which team he'd played on that was the best on paper, and he went with the 2018-19 Golden State Warriors team that featured Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and DeMarcus Cousins.

However, Durant listed the 2021-22 Nets as a close second to that group, mentioning Blake Griffin, LaMarcus Aldridge, Paul Millsap and Patty Mills, in addition to, of course, Kyrie Irving and James Harden.

KD reflects on the best team he’s ever played on and what winning a championship in Brooklyn would’ve meant.⁠ pic.twitter.com/s3WqBLDrpJ

— Boardroom (@boardroom) August 27, 2026

Irving and Harden were still on top of their games the season before, but Harden saw a noticeable decline in his production during the 2021-22 campaign and Irving only played 29 games.

The other names Durant mentioned had their fair share of accolades, but they were all nearing the end of their careers and came for the ride, expecting an easy championship.

That's why on paper the 2021-22 Nets might've been better than the 2020-21 Nets, but the 2020-21 Nets were the far better team in terms of cohesion.

Irving had just become one of a handful of players to average at least 25 points per game on 50/40/90 shooting splits, Harden found his niche as the tablesetter who brought out the best in all of the role players, and Durant was legitimately considered the best player in the world when he was healthy.

Griffin quickly found his niche as the ultimate glue guy on both ends of the floor and Jeff Green thrived in an off-ball role, whether he was lighting it up from 3-point range or cutting to the rim.

The 2021-22 Nets very well could've been the team to win it all had Irving been eligible to play in every game and Harden stayed committed to the team, but with Green out of the picture and Joe Harris out for much of the season, it still would've been tough for that group to emerge with a championship.

The KD era in Brooklyn will always be seen as a big what-if in sports history, but at the very least, some of the Nets teams he played on will always have some of the best "on paper" squads in NBA history.

To this day, it's clear that Durant still feels the emptiness of not winning a championship in Brooklyn.