Kevin Durant is not a hero for joining the Golden State Warriors—not outside of Oakland, California, anyway. He did, however, give the Oklahoma City Thunder one thing: clarity.
Unpopular offseason decisions can often be twisted, turned and spun into something they are not. Durant's departure is an exception.
There is no replacing him, immediately or eventually. There is no overcoming his absence. Russell Westbrook, on his own, is but moderate consolation—Oklahoma City's ticket to fringe playoff contention. In the rush to condemn Durant's character and competitive integrity, though, a key silver lining has fallen by the wayside: If this had to happen, it's better for the Thunder it happened now rather than next summer.
Most people expected Durant to stick with Oklahoma City on a one-plus-one deal that would have set him up to re-explore free agency in 2017. That consensus made too much sense at the time, both financially and logistically, as ESPN.com's Marc Stein wrote:
Going short term this summer would not only keep the pressure on the Thunder to keep upgrad ...
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Article written by Dan Favale
Kevin Durant Did OKC Thunder a Favor by Leaving for Golden State Warriors Now
July 23rd, 2016 by Dan Favale Leave a reply »
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