Why Kevin Durant should sign with Magic

Just give me a minute and let me explain.

What you need is a new start in a fresh place where you can flourish without the intense pressure you will face at other potential destinations _ or if you stay in OKC.

Let's face it, Kev, it's time to leave Oklahoma City, and, believe me, that's hard for somebody from Orlando to say. You see, we've watched superstars bail out on our town and the bitter feelings still remain years _ even decades _ later. But Shaq and Dwight left our team and our town for the wrong reasons _ because they thought they needed brighter lights and a bigger city.

If you leave Oklahoma City, it won't be because of your ego; it be will be because of your mojo and the fact that you're losing it in Oklahoma. Hate to tell you this, KD, but right now your national perception is that of a superstar who can't get his team over the hump. You've been in OKC eight years now and only been to the Finals once. The chances of you winning a championship in the West are not getting better; they're getting worse.

To paraphrase those two former NBA analysts, Rodgers and Hammerstein:

"OOOOk-lahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain,

And the wavin' wheat can sure smell sweet, but you'll never taste the championship champagne."

Believe me, if I thought you could win a championship in OKC, I'd tell you to stay. There's nothing better than to see mega stars who stay in mid-major markets and win titles with the franchises that drafted them.

But you know Golden State is a dynasty in the making; the Spurs are retooling and will always be contenders as long as Pop is running the show; and the Clippers are still loaded with star power.

Kevin, you need move to the Eastern Conference where LeBron is your only real obstacle _ and he's getting older and more vulnerable every minute he plays on those well-worn tires of his. You are four years younger than LeBron, will immediately supplant him as the Beast of the East and advance to the NBA Finals almost every season.

But ...

You need to do it in a place where you are appreciated and celebrated and can win without the insane expectations you will encounter elsewhere.

If you go to the Knicks, you'll immediately be burned alive by that tire fire of a franchise and become just another star athlete for TMZ and the tabloids to tear apart. If you go to Boston, you'll be playing for the third most-popular team in the city, and so what if you win a title with the Celtics? Russell won 11 of them.

You could return home to Washington and play for the Wizards, but do you really want to go through what LeBron is going through in Cleveland right now? Do you really want the immense, intense pressure of trying to win a championship for your hometown, which just happens to be the nation's capital?

Central Florida is the perfect place for you, Kevin. First of all, your old Oklahoma City buddy Rob Hennigan is running the franchise. And if you sign here, you immediately become the greatest player in Magic history and instantly become beloved and cherished for being a superstar who chose to come to Orlando instead of choosing to bail on Orlando.

And if you believe what all the analysts say, the Magic have a good young nucleus that you could lead and mentor to greatness. This is apparently why new coach Frank Vogel chose to take the Magic job when he likely could have been hired by the Knicks, Rockets or Grizzlies.

Vogel, who made two Eastern Conference Finals and five playoff appearances in six years in Indiana, told me after he was hired by the Magic: "I'm confident we can create something in Orlando that's even better on all fronts than what we accomplished in Indiana."

And the beautiful thing about Orlando, Kevin, is that it is essentially a blank canvas in which you can paint the picture you desire. With the Magic's tons of cap space, you can choose your own running mate and become the pied piper for basketball in Orlando.

If you build it, they will come.

If you sign with the Magic, others will follow.

Just something for you to think about, KD.

Thanks for listening and good luck with your decision.