If the San Antonio Spurs want it, it's a pretty good bet that Kevin Durant will be in their starting 5 to begin the season, especially if the recent rumors hold true.
There may not be a team in a better position to make a superstar acquisition this offseason than the San Antonio Spurs. However, there's much reason to believe that the ultimate target for the Spurs heading into the offseason may end up being Kevin Durant over Giannis Antetokounmpo. And if the recent rumors hold true, I'd suggest there's a strong chance KD will be in the Spurs' starting 5 next season.
Considering that there still isn't much movement on the Giannis front, it's hard to predict whether he'll end up hitting the trade market after all this summer. And even if he does hit the trade market, there's no guarantee that the Spurs will be the ultimate landing spot. At this point, I'd say that if Giannis doesn't wiggle his way out of Milwaukee in the next couple of months, the Spurs may need to pivot in another direction. If the recent reporting is accurate, KD could be a natural suitor for the young Spurs.
Why the Spurs may turn to Kevin Durant this summer
According to the recent reporting, there was mutual interest between the Spurs and KD at the NBA Trade Deadline. If the Spurs were to explore KD's trade market again, I find it hard to believe that any of the other potential suitors would be able to come over the top with a better offer than San Antonio. If Giannis is not attainable for the Spurs, pivoting to KD seems like a very realistic scenario.
If the Spurs can get KD at a discounted price, taking a flier on 1-2 years of KD alongside De'Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama could be considered a worthy and calculated risk for the team. They wouldn't drastically mortgage their future with such a move and would take a pretty big step forward next season.
From a talent perspective, adding KD, even at the age of 37, would be considered a big offseason win for San Antonio. Would it automatically make them a championship contender in the Western Conference? Probably not. But if Wemby continues to take strides in his individual development, there's no reason why the Spurs can reemerge next season as one of the best teams in the Western Conference.
If Giannis continues to drag his feet on the posisbility of leaving Milwaukee, KD could emerge as a real target for the Spurs. If he does, we should fully expect him to be in San Antonio's starting 5 at the start of next season.