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Oklahoma City Thunder: 2016 Offseason Grades

By Gerald Bourguet

Apr 23, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) and guard Russell Westbrook (0) react at the end of the second quarter against the Dallas Mavericks in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 23, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) and guard Russell Westbrook (0) react at the end of the second quarter against the Dallas Mavericks in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oklahoma City Thunder
Jul 7, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Kevin Durant poses for a photo with his jersey during a press conference after signing with the Golden State Warriors at the Warriors Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Losing KD

Avert your eyes, Thunder fans. This won’t be easy to read, especially for about the 100th time this summer.

Heading into the offseason, Oklahoma City had one major goal: re-signing Kevin Durant, their franchise player and best shot at a championship. They failed.

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    • The Thunder did everything in their power to get him to stay. They were able to offer him the most money, even in the same kind of 1+1 deal he signed with the Warriors. They got younger and more athletic by bringing in Oladipo and Sabonis. They had Russell Westbrook, his brother in arms and another bonafide top-5 player.

    In the end, the lure of playing with a group that won 73 games last season was too strong, especially for an MVP-caliber player who wants his name forever enshrined in the history books with an NBA championship. That hurdle was seemingly too great for him in OKC, where the Thunder just couldn’t stay healthy and then stared up into the face of a Golden State juggernaut.

    If not for Klay Thompson‘s 41-point explosion in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals, the Thunder probably would have won the NBA title, or at least made an appearance in the Finals and been able to re-sign Durant over the summer.

    Instead, OKC squandered a 3-1 series lead in the most excruciating fashion possible and had to watch the Warriors do the same in the Finals, wondering what might have been. The Thunder were the best teaming the playoffs to that point, but for the umpteenth time, still couldn’t get the job done. It’s understandable that doubt began to creep in.

    But even if the Thunder did all they could to keep their franchise player, his departure left them with no backup plan. I guess you could say the Oladipo trade was something of a Plan B, but by the time Durant made his decision, most of the free agents who might have served as serviceable replacements on the wing had been scooped up already. It’s the nature of the beast.

    OKC was right to go all-in on bringing back KD, because without him, they’re no longer legitimate contenders (as currently constructed, at least). But after losing him to the Bay, the Thunder — who were so close to finally reaching the precipice — can only hope the Russell Westbrook Show makes for a somewhat smooth transition into a new era.

    Grade: F

    Next: Re-Signing Russ

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