Rumor: Durant Will Leave if Thunder Don't Make the Finals

[Ilikesports17]

None of the teams he might go to will provide him a better platform for winning a title than playing alongside fellow MVP candidate Russell Westbrook.  No other team can offer a 1-2 punch of that caliber (I don't buy for a moment that he'd consider the Warriors, where he'd be #2).

Durant may well leave OKC if they fail to make the Finals ... after next season, when Westbrook also takes a hard look at signing elsewhere.

wow i'll stop at this one. Are you serious? You're joking right? KD will never find a better place and better teammate then Russell freaking Westbrook?? Man do you watch any of their games? Do you watch basketball in general? You know it's a team game?
As long as KD is playing behind or with him he will not win an NBA championship. Russ is not made to be a team player. He can contain it sometimes like the game vs. the Bucks, but mostly he's so selfish that most of the possessions in the fourth quarters belong to him. He's got pretty good team with Ibaka, Kanter and those guys but he just doesn't pass. I get a sens that all of his teammates are affraid of him. seriously I do... Sam Presti had a luck at the draft but since that he's done a poor job. He can't find right coach who could contain RW. If you ask me they should trade Westbrook for some young star, couple quality players and high pick, sign KD, find some experienced coach like Thibs and they could be in no time in race with the Warriors and the Spurs for the title. You could say that they are now but they are miles away from both.
So yes, I believe the story, KD will leave that team if RW stays.

If they trade Russ, KD is definitely gone.

Thats my impression.

[byennie]

I think a big factor is whether Durant wants to be a true #1 option, or more part of a team. In Boston, he's the clear #1, even though we play team ball today. In GS, Curry replaces Westbrook and it's more of a 2-header monster. In SA his numbers probably drop the most, with fewer minutes and the most extreme team ball. Aldridge and Leonard together would severely cut his usage.

Ideally for us, he wants to go somewhere where he can score 25-30/night as the go-to guy with a really, really good supporting cast, but he's still the undisputed star. We could be champs with a defensive center, Durant, and something close to the current cast.

Formula would be something like top-5 defense + top-5 scorer (Durant) + top-5 coach + great depth = winning.

[byennie]

Edit: stop quoting yourself by mistake, yennieb

[Lucky17]

I see Durant reupping for one more year next season. He'll give OKC one more chance.

[Big333223]

Smart money is on Durant taking a 1 year deal (or a 1 with options) so that he can get a new contract the following year when the cap jumps again. This would also put him on the same cycle as Westbrook, so if they decide they want to blow it up, KD won't be leaving his friend behind.

And it's still true that OKC is a really good team around him with Westbrook and Ibaka. They're one 3-and-D wing away from being as scary as the Warriors or Spurs. I think he'll be back.

[SparzWizard]

OKC is not going to the finals this year.

Unless a major injury happens to Steph Curry, Kawhi Leonard, or Chris Paul. Those 3 pretty much dominate the West. OKC won't beat them in a 7-game series. Well, they might be able to squeak by the Clippers, but none of the other two after that.

So come join the Celtics, Durant. You will finally beat LeBron James multiple times. You will also go to the finals. 

OKC has had a better record than the Clippers all year, yet somehow the Clippers now "dominate the West"?

They're only 1.5 game behind OKC, so not much of a gap. And plus they've been giving them a fight this season.