Kevin Durant’s relationship with the media might be fractured, but his trust in the Oklahoma City Thunder remains strong as ever, despite his team’s struggles in 2014-15. During a session with reporters following Wednesday’s practice, the reigning MVP eased concerns of Thunder fans everywhere by insisting he doesn’t resent the organization for trading James Harden, and the heavily scrutinized deal will have no bearing on his free agency decision in two summers’ time.
Here’s the relevant portion of Durant’s Q&A via Darnell Mayberry and Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman:
Do you resent the organization for trading James Harden?
Do I resent the organization? Nah. Hell nah. Let’s look at it this way. We won 60 games the year he was gone, we won 59 the next year. Had a few injuries, never know what would have happened. So not at all. Plus they signed me to a max deal (smiles).
A lot of people on the outside looking in think that might be a factor in your decision next summer, the fact that they traded James and the talent hasn’t been the same as in the past and you haven’t been to the Finals since. What impact does that decision in 2012 make on your decision next summer?
None. None. We’re still a good team. Still a good team. Let’s be real now. We’d still be up there if we didn’t have injuries. If I wasn’t out, if Russ wasn’t out, we’d be up there. So don’t act like we a bad team or we got worse. Nah, we had injuries. It’s a part of the game and I understand that, not crying about it. But that’s what happened. We lost Russell for a playoff series, we lost Serge for a playoff series. Stuff like that happens, but to say all because we lost James we didn’t make it to the Finals.
Wait. You’re telling us that a basketball player understands the nuances of success and team-building better than a minority of analysts and majority of league followers? No way. Don’t believe it. Impossible.
Durant is no idiot. He knows the Thunder’s recent postseason labors and current record are a direct result of injuries to the team’s best players.
Russell Westbrook missed the 2013 playoffs, and Serge Ibaka was absent the first two games of last season’s Western Conference Finals. Who’s to say to that Oklahoma City wouldn’t have won a title by now had they enjoyed better injury fortune? Scott Brooks’ team immediately took two games from the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs last May upon Ibaka’s return to the lineup, after all.
Title-winners need luck, and the Thunder simply haven’t had it.
What Oklahoma City did have and still does is enough talent to win a championship, and Durant said as much today while claiming his contention otherwise in a recent interview with GQ was misinterpreted:
A story in GQ created some buzz, specifically the quote about your players not being as good in the past. What specifically did you mean?
I think my words were misinterpreted a little bit. I read that this morning and felt bad, but I was just talking in terms of how the public views our team, how everybody views us. Everybody talks about the James Harden trade to this day. Everybody else is asking about a player that’s a 3-time All-Star, leading scorer in the league, so we can’t do nothing about that. I never wanted to slight my teammates like I did, but just from the outside looking in, that’s how people view us. That we got worse. But we can’t control that. That’s what really I was trying to say, so I’m sorry if my words got misinterpreted, but I never want to slight my teammates.
Squash that story.
Even if Durant confirmed the initial assessment of his take, though, that wouldn’t exactly be a death-knell for Oklahoma City. Objectively, the Thunder’s players are worse than they were three years ago. That’s what happens when a 22-year-old Sixth Man of the Year develops into a leading MVP candidate. While we were among the group who foresaw Harden developing into such a force, there was a sizable contingent who thought the Houston Rockets overpaid for him in late October 2012.
Ignoring that owner Clay Bennett was unwilling to pay luxury tax during his time with Oklahoma City could be a factor to Durant’s July 2016 decision, but it’s also not the only thing he’ll consider. A countless number of aspects go into such a choice, many of which only the player in question fully grasps.
We’ll know a bit more about the ones that matter to Durant come this time next year. For now, the Thunder should simply be glad the past development that so many believe will spur his departure from Oklahoma City won’t be among them.
