Kevin Durant has spoken out about the help, or lack thereof, that he received in Oklahoma City.
After nine seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant left in free agency for the Golden State Warriors. He signed a two-year deal with the second season as a player option. This move sent shockwaves throughout the NBA as Durant left the team he joined at 19 years old to form the league’s latest super team.
The Texas alumnus may have arguably the NBA’s best supporting cast in Golden State but had a decent group with him in OKC. He played with arguably the league’s best point guard, Russell Westbrook and one of the most athletic power forward in Serge Ibaka. However, in an interview with Rolling Stone, Durant hinted that he didn’t like how the Thunder attempted to compete with other organization’s rosters.
"“Where other teams went out and got that veteran guy, we kept getting younger.”"
Durant’s thoughts hold some weight. The team has focused on the draft to bring in new players like Steven Adams, Andre Roberson, and Reggie Jackson before trading him. The Trade Deadline often saw them stay quiet or reshuffle a few pieces, usually the time where contending teams add veterans.
However, Thunder General Manager Sam Presti has found success building the team through the draft. There were the Cole Aldrich or Mitch McGary-like picks, but Presti has found success most of the time in June. These assets then turned into quality role players or starters for the team. So, did they really need to go out and get a veteran often?
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Now, Durant gets to play with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson. If there’s a complaint about that supporting cast, then can the former NBA MVP be happy?