Oklahoma City Thunder Trade Rumors: GM Sam Presti says Trading Kevin Durant is ‘ludicrous’

The reigning NBA Most Valuable Player, Kevin Durant, has been riddled with several foot injuries this season so far. Since Durant has missed many games already, rumors are flying that the Thunder might consider trading him before he hits the free agent market in 2016. General manager Sam Presti has addressed these rumors, stating that trading KD is "ludicrous."

Presti said, reported by Darnell Mayberry, "It's ludicrous to assert that we would trade Kevin. There's no way to measure what he represents to our organization on and off the floor. He has helped build this organization from the ground up and personifies the Thunder: past, present and future. When he's done playing there will be streets named after him throughout the state and younger generations of Oklahomans will learn about the role Kevin has played in elevating this community in ways beyond basketball."

Rumors of a potential trade first surfaced when Tom Penn, an ESPN analyst, suggested that the Thunder could consider trading the star now that Russell Westrbook has become an even more dominant force on the court. However, Penn's suggestion of a trade was pure speculation.

Penn said, "I think this burst from Westbrook makes it much more likely that Durant ultimately gets traded next year. ... Sam Presti has proven that he does not ever want to lose anybody for nothing. So he traded James Harden a year early to avoid a potential luxury tax problem a year later. The Kevin Durant drumbeat next year is going to be so loud because he will not commit early to Oklahoma City contractually because the rules are against that. He can't get the same contract if he signs early as if he just goes to free agency and resigns.

So if Sam Presti doesn't get that commitment, he'll look to trade Kevin Durant. And looking at the performance of Westbrook and the team around Westbrook will make it easier for him to do that potentially."

Durant had a minor operation on his right foot on Feb 22. Back in October, he had surgery on the same foot to fix a fracture. During his absence at the beginning of the year, the Thunder went 5-12.

Durant has only played in 27 games this season. He is averaging 25.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 33.8 minutes. Durant's return date is projected to be one to two weeks but he could be listed as day-to-day starting Monday when the Thunder take on the Dallas Mavericks.