Kevin Durant said he had to distance himself from Russell Westbrook entering free agency. Yet, Durant listened to the Warriors recruiting him all season and had clearly been interested in Golden State for months.
The writing was on the wall.
Except, a few days before taking meetings in the Hamptons (which led to signing with the Warriors), Durant dined with Westbrook.
Maybe Durant said that. Maybe he meant it in the moment. Maybe he was just trying to appease someone he didn’t want to let down. Maybe he was unclear. Maybe Westbrook read too much into a more clear statement.
There’s a lot of room for imperfect recollection/interpretation. We’re dealing with human beings.
Likewise on the house. Who says Durant was “ready” to make an offer? That’s an awfully difficult assessment to make outside his head. Just as the Celtics had a list of players Durant wanted them to add, it seems he was preparing for all contingencies. It’s hard to nail down whether he was house hunting because he was certain he wanted to stay in Oklahoma City or whether he just wanted a new place if he stayed in Oklahoma City.
So much of what we know about Durant’s process for picking the Warriors suggests a rational decision. He considered them for months, met with multiple teams, conferred with his inner circle then made a choice.
If Durant told Westbrook or anyone else he’d re-sign with the Thunder, that obviously changes the equation. But I’m left wondering:
How many people in Oklahoma City heard what they wanted to hear rather than what Durant actually said?
How many people are incentivized to paint Durant as impulsive, because the alternative -- Durant thoughtfully deciding the Thunder weren’t his best option -- indicates deeper flaws in the franchise?