Things between Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant won’t be getting any less awkward any time soon.
Durant, be it inadvertently or deliberately, drove a wedge between the two of them when he left the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Golden State Warriors in free agency. That chasm has now only grown in the wake of Westbrook’s extension with Oklahoma City, which essentially keeps him with the Thunder through at least the 2017-18 season.
If you’re wondering whether Durant will reach out to Westbrook anytime soon, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe has the answer:
Durant on whether he'll contact Westbrook to offer congrats: "Nah, that's a touchy subject. I'll see once everything dies down." #Rio2016
— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) August 4, 2016
As for Durant’s additional thoughts on the matter, Michael Lee has those over at The Vertical:
“I’m happy to see any player in this league do whatever they want to do,” Durant said. “As long as he wasn’t pressured to do anything and felt like he did everything he wanted to do. And that’s how I feel about every player in this league. It’s good for him, man. It’s good for his family. It’s good for the people in Oklahoma City that love to watch him play and love to have him on their team.
“I got nothing but positive energy and vibes for everybody. I don’t have no beef with anybody or wish no ill will on anybody. So if he did what he wanted to do, that’s better. That’s great for him.”
Oh, cool. What a response.
Durant appears indifferent to the extension at best, which is fine. On some level, he has to know Westbrook’s decision makes his look even worse, regardless of whether that’s right or wrong. Durant, for his part, also appeared to get a little dig in there by saying “As long as he wasn’t pressured to do anything,” as if that matters.
Maybe it does matter. But Westbrook isn’t exactly tethered to Oklahoma City long term. He has a player option for 2018-19. This move essentially delays his foray into free agency by one year, while maximizing his earning potential, since he will be hitting the open market as a 10-year veteran and able to command a contract that soaks up roughly 35 percent of the league’s salary cap—assuming, of course, nothing changes in the collective bargaining negotiations.
So, yes, Westbrook did right by the Thunder, deciding on his own future now. It just so happens that, in the process, he also did right by himself.
