After elimination in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City must now turn to free agency. Will Durant stay, or will he sign elsewhere?
When the buzzer sounded amid Stephen Curry’s cries of exultation and the Oracle Arena crowd’s roaring response, the focus of the Oklahoma City Thunder as an organization shifted from one crisis to another.
Game 7 was over, the collapse was complete, the Thunder team that shocked the league in gaining a 3-1 series advantage on the defending champs was now going home.
While the Thunder’s players and coaches worked to process through the emotions of the loss, the front office — and the fans — were already turning their gazes ahead.
July 1 means the beginning of NBA free agency and the first day Kevin Durant could leave the only team he’s ever known and sign with another.
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For the Oklahoma City community, they have no experience cheering for a Thunder team without Kevin Durant on it. Drafted in 2007 by the Seattle SuperSonics, Durant played only one year in the Pacific Northwest before the team left town to become the Thunder.
The last eight years, Thunder basketball has gone hand-in-hand with Kevin Durant as the superstar.
Kevin Durant is a bona fide superstar and most of the league would love to make a pitch to him. In particular, Marc Stein of ESPN lists a number of teams specifically targeting Durant this offseason:
Wizards, Heat, Celtics, Rockets, Knicks, Lakers, Spurs and, yes, Warriors ... all expected to pursue Kevin Durant in free agency this summer
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 31, 2016
With the rising salary cap, more teams than ever before will have the space to make a run at a superstar like Durant. Will he end up leaving the Thunder? Or is he happy where he is? What will Kevin Durant do this July?
Next: Team Loyalty