For nine seasons, there was never any indication that Kevin Durant would leave the Thunder, but that’s exactly what he did this week.
Durant’s jaw-dropping departure to join OKC’s greatest rival is a blow the franchise will likely never recover from, and certainly couldn’t have seen coming.
KD was telling people last year that he would re-up with the Thunder and start collecting NBA championship trophies.
A year ago, Kevin Durant was saying he was going to re-sign with the Thunder. Now he's a Warrior. What changed?: https://t.co/ZY1PuV87cd
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) July 5, 2016
Per ESPN:
He had just met newly hired coach Billy Donovan. He was pushing through rehab and edging closer to returning to the court. He was fired up. He sent a text. […] “It’s our year next year!” he said.
He sent another. […] “Then Ima sign back and build a sick ass house and keep stacking chips!! That’s [the] goal.”
He was going to stay. He was going to plant his flag. He was going to finish what he started. Anyone who was around the team saw Donovan’s hiring as the start of a new era, a fresh start and the first step in retaining their franchise player. Durant felt it, too. […] On July 4, 2016, Durant agreed to join the Golden State Warriors, leaving behind the only franchise he’s ever known.
