Kevin Durant knew he'd leave the Thunder before the playoffs even ended

Kevin Durant.
(Image credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

This summer, on July 4, NBA superstar Kevin Durant declared his independence from the Oklahoma City Thunder and announced he'd sign with the Golden State Warriors. The decision shook the league — shifting the balance of power by adding one of the most dynamic players to one of the most dynamic teams — and many regarded Durant's announcement as a surprise, expecting him to stand pat in Oklahoma.

But for Durant, the decision wasn't random at all — in fact, he had a hunch he'd end up in the Bay Area before he'd even played his last game in the Thunder uniform. As the cover star for the newest issue of Rolling Stone, Durant explained his free agency move to writer Paul Solotaroff:

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Kimberly Alters

Kimberly Alters is the news editor at TheWeek.com. She is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.