Kevin Durant's departure from the Golden State Warriors in free agency was hardly a surprise.
Rumors of his interest in leaving the Warriors this summer began surfacing after his debut season with Golden State, reaching a crescendo in February as the New York Knicks created double-max cap space and owner James Dolan publicly flapped about his team's chances at landing multiple superstars. The only somewhat jarring aspect of Durant's decision to bail on the Warriors was that he did so for the Brooklyn Nets, not the Knicks, bringing Kyrie Irving along with him, but even that possibility had been gaining momentum leading up to June 30.
When Golden State general manager Bob Myers met the two-time Finals MVP in New York City that morning, though, he was still uncertain of not just Durant's destination in free agency, but whether or not he'd leave the Warriors.
“I know there was a lot of speculation about what Kevin was doing,” Myers said, per The Athletic's Marcus Thompson. “But I wasn’t aware of any finality until I saw him and talked to him.”
After Durant made his intentions clear, Myers, cap guru David Kelley, and the rest of Golden State's front office brass quickly pivoted to contingency plans, ultimately acquiring first-time All-Star D'Angelo Russell in a sign-and-trade with the Nets. The Warriors, with Russell, Steph Curry, and Draymond Green but unlikely to get Klay Thompson back from a torn ACL until late in the season, will enter 2019-20 with far different expectations compared to years past, fighting for a playoff berth in a Western Conference loaded with hopeful title contenders.
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