How Can OKC Remain Front Runners for Kevin Durant in 2016?
By Ali Ahmed
Feb 9, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward
Kevin Durant(35) during the second half against the Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center. The Thunder won 124-114. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
If there is a season which will test the resolve of Thunder players, management, and fans, this is it. The team, coming off an injury-riddled season in which Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook sat out a combined 70 games, will look to return to the dominant form which saw them execute at an average win percentage of .678 during the past four seasons.
The stakes were raised a notch higher when the team announced that they would be parting ways with long-time head coach Scott Brooks and tipping Billy Donovan as his successor. The ultra-successful Florida coach will be adjusting to life in the NBA while trying to navigate this talented roster towards an NBA championship, something which has eluded them for the past four years.
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You think it ends there? With all the question marks surrounding health and personnel, the whale in the room all year will certainly be the impending free agency of Durant, Mr. Thunder himself. While we sat back and enjoyed the exceedingly entertaining free agency sagas of LeBron James, Dwight Howard, and Carmelo Anthony, we’re now faced with the reality that our very own cornerstone player, and the second best player on the planet, will hit the market on July 1, 2016. DeAndre Jordan’s face was plastered on milk cartons for a day after being kidnapped during his free agency, while Mark Cuban sat by the phone in his lonely hotel room. Durant’s free agency won’t be your typical wine-and-dine affair, it will be a multi-city mega tour.
As for OKC, they expect Durant to have an endless amount of suitors, each tinkering with their roster throughout the season to ensure themselves a spot in the sweepstakes next summer. However, they still present the best chance of long-term success. Durant knows, we know it, and most league executives seem to agree as well. That being said, GM Sam Presti and the team will need to check a few things off KD’s list if they hope to maintain their front runner status.
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