Kevin Durant is gone…
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He did it.
Kevin Durant signed with the Golden State Warriors.
The team that just came back from 3-1 to beat the Thunder. The team that just blew a 3-1 lead in the Finals to the Cavs. The team with the player that kicked Steven Adams in the nuts… twice! Yesterday Kevin did the nut kicking, and the pain lingers…. And will for awhile.
Kevin gave this city eight years. We knew we had something special, even if we had never known anything different. Durant helped build this city for what it is today. Do you think if OKC got Greg Oden and Jerryd Bayless in back to back drafts that the downtown area would thrive like it has? How has playoff basketball changed this city? These are questions for another day in my opinion. Kevin Durant undoubtedly made a massive positive impact on Oklahoma City. He didn’t owe us another contract by any means, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t hurt or be frustrating.
It’s honestly difficult to be in a place to talk about all the good Kevin has done. When considering the Warriors as a Durant destination it just didn’t feel right. The competitor we thought Durant was didn’t match up with that conclusion. The truth is, sometimes we trick ourselves into thinking we know these guys. These are millionaire basketball players. They might as well live on a different planet when it comes to what their day to day life is like. They can have whatever they want. Durant proved that today. He wanted a championship. He wanted a lighter load. He wanted less pressure. What is the easiest way to get those things? Knock out the only real competitor in the West (OKC), and join the 2 time reigning MVP and the 2 time runner up for DPOY… plus one of the best shooters ever and everything else they have. It’s the easiest way for him to get what he wants, which is the life he lives. Most OKC fans feel distraught today. Not only because Durant left, but because he made us believe this was home for him. That he was invested in what he built. He left it all to join the 73 win Warriors. He chose winning over everything: loyalty, team, and Nick Collison… how could you Kevin?!
Now what? The Thunder still have a wrecking ball guard that will destroy you in Russell Westbrook, but he’s only got a year left. No doubt that Presti and crew are trying to sell him on an extension this summer. If he balks, and all indications are that he will, then there are options. OKC still has a boatload of young assets. There could be a star come on the market like Jimmy Butler, Demarcus Cousins, or Blake Griffin. OKC could be in the market for a guy like that to pair with Russ and Adams. This is no superteam by any means, but Russ is still a superstar and those guys don’t grow on trees. Keeping him and trying to build around him should be priority number one.
Building around Westbrook is not difficult. They have great pick and roll guys already in Adams and Kanter. One thing this current roster lacks is shooting. Kevin left a massive hole in every way, and shooting is one of the biggest. The three ball has become a more important part of the game, and now the Thunder are left with almost no shooters. Morrow? Ilyasova? Meh… those are situational guys. Offering a hefty contract to Allen Crabbe makes some sense, although Portland will probably match. They will and should explore some trades to bring in some shooting. Gallinari or Wilson Chandler in Denver could be targets if Presti thinks Westbrook is sticking around. Priority number two should be shooting.
If Russ gives any sort of indication that he won’t stay (indication #1 will be him not signing the extension) Presti needs to trade him. The trade machine has never been more depressing. There are teams like the Lakers and Celtics that have very attractive assets. If Presti is trading Russ it will surely be for a high draft pick, like the Celtics pick with swap rights to Brooklyn’s unprotected first rounder. If not a draft pick, young players like Brandon Ingram and Deangelo Russell makes some sense as well. Whatever deal they get, it’s a rebuild. The Thunder already have Payne, Adams, Sabonis, McGary, Roberson, and Oladipo, (Waiters? That’s a different story that I’m not willing to dive into today, too many emotions)…. this isn’t a traditional rebuild. There are lots of pieces here. Getting a superstar would be the priority, seeing that none of the guys I listed fit that bill. The Thunder are very unlikely to get a superstar through free agency. It will need to be through the draft or through trade. I suspect if Westbrook doesn’t stay, Presti will do what he has done best and build through the draft.
All of these options are less than optimal for a team that looked destined for championships. The unfinished business is unsettling. To go from a team with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden to a team with just Russell Westbrook in just a few years is shocking. If Westbrook remains loyal to the Thunder, he may take the place of what Durant was for the community. But that doesn’t feel like a guarantee at all at this point.
July 4th was supposed to be a fun day filled with fireworks, double dogs, swimming, grilling, and flag waving. This day had all those things for me, but incredibly sad versions of those things. I thought Kevin Durant wanted to bring this city a championship. I thought this was his home. I thought he wasn’t a frontrunner.
I was wrong.
A lot of us were.
This is a painful “Welcome to the NBA” moment for Oklahoma City Thunder fans.
