Kevin Durant has done a fantastic job handling the speculation surrounding his upcoming free agency, at least according to the GM of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Sam Presti effusively praised Durant on Monday for tuning out the speculation and focusing on the team, which he believes made the Thunder’s run to the Western Conference Finals possible.
“I also think Kevin deserves a tremendous amount of credit for the way he’s handled his affairs, because what it really did was it allowed our team to focus on the season and really made the season we had possible,” Presti said, via ESPN’s Royce Young. “I thought it was a tremendous example of a franchise player putting the franchise first. I thought it was also a tremendous example of leadership on his part, because we’re not able to have that season unless he’s handling his affairs the way that he did.”
Presti didn’t sound intimidated at the prospect of having to sell Durant on the team, pointing out that they know each other exceptionally well.
“We’ve had a relationship with Kevin in Oklahoma City for eight years, nine with this particular franchise, and we talk to him all the time,” Presti noted. “I think when those conversations occur, it’s really just a continuation of a dialogue that’s been going on for eight or nine years. It’s a chance to reflect and recognize that relationship and continue the conversations that we’ve had on going.”
It sounds like Durant already knows that the Thunder are in a pretty good place, and they may well be his most likely destination. Beyond the flattery, Presti probably has a point – Durant’s free agency could have easily become a distraction, but it never really appeared to.
