Kevin Durant is free to make his own decisions, good or bad. As far as the 27-year-old is concerned it’s about time to look towards his future which includes winning an NBA title. He believes that he can do that with the Golden State Warriors.
Kevin Durant announced via the Player’s Tribune that he has chosen the Golden State Warriors as his next stop. The decision caught everyone by surprise with many believing he will remain with the Oklahoma City Thunder over the pitching teams.
“It really pains me to know that I will disappoint so many people with this choice, but I believe I am doing what I feel is the right thing at this point in my life and my playing career,” said Durant in the entry.
New NBA salary cap made it possible
For a team that already has Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, most would wonder how this could happen. The obvious reason is the raised salary cap which now stands at approximately $94 million.
The raised salary budget has allowed players to get higher pay and aid teams to avoid the luxury tax penalties. On the side, it also tilts the balance and competitive nature with NBA superstars wanting in on super teams. In short, the NBA salary cap becomes a hoarding tool and Durant just proved that.
Did the NBA see this coming? From the looks of it they did not. But as in every set or rules, there are loopholes or oversights and this move is one of them.
This is not to say that Durant should be deprived of wanting to gain better chances at winning an NBA title. Any normal player is free to do so. But the fact is he is not an ordinary player and he has an MVP plum to prove all that.
The deal hasn’t been officially signed and many are hoping to see a repeat of the infamous DeAndre Jordan move last year. Unfortunately that seems to be far from happening unless the Thunder make a last ditch move similar to what the Los Angeles Clippers did to foil the Dallas Mavericks pitch.
What lies ahead for the Oklahoma City Thunder
With Durant on the way out, the OKC Thunder face a grim future. Russell Westbrook is still there and has proven in the past that he can carry the team on his shoulders even without Durant.
The catch is that it is Westbrook’s final year which means he may be following KD if the team fails to come up with an impressive performance this season according to ESPN.
Being the sole star on the team right now, the Thunder are expected to maximize efforts to keep Westbrook. Appeasing the star guard will depend on who the team gets to help him out.
Durant’s departure leaves a big hole. In fact it wipes out the long-time forward line with the Serge Ibaka trade to the Orlando Magic last month. So who do the Thunder go after now in free agency?
Check out the video below on reactions following the Kevin Durant move.