Kevin Durant’s 2016 Thunder exit recalled by ex-teammate in raw details

Kevin Durant’s July 4, 2016 exit from the Oklahoma City Thunder still stings in OKC: and now an ex-teammate has laid bare the raw texts and emotions from that day.

On Independence Day 2016, Kevin Durant dropped his bombshell essay titled “My Next Chapter,” announcing he was leaving the Thunder for the Golden State Warriors. The move capped a stunning free-agency swing and capped a Thunder era that had peaked in the 2016 Western Conference Finals, where Golden State had just beaten OKC. Anthony Morrow, a Thunder forward from 2014-17, told the “Club 520” podcast he texted Durant moments after the news broke. “That s*** was on July 4th. I’ll never forget,” Morrow said. “I was leaving my daddy’s house. Headed to the crib. I texted him: ‘Bro, I had to pray about it. Damn, s*** got crazy, bro.’”

Morrow’s texts to Durant were supportive but his private reaction was anything but. “I put the phone down. ‘F*** this n****,’” he recalled. “No, but he’s going to see and going to say something. I love, you know, that’s my brother for life. But in that moment, I was like, ‘Nah.’” Morrow then texted Russell Westbrook, the Thunder’s All-NBA guard, who Morrow said wasn’t worried at all: a sign of Westbrook’s competitive fire.

Durant’s move to Golden State triggered a seismic shift in the NBA. He joined Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green: the “Hamptons Five” core: and promptly won back-to-back NBA titles and Finals MVPs in 2017 and 2018. The Thunder, meanwhile, haven’t returned to the conference finals since Durant left: not until they captured the championship in 2025. Morrow’s account underscores how personal the breakup felt in OKC, where Durant had been the face of the franchise since 2007.

The Thunder finally broke through in 2025, but the scars of 2016 lingered in OKC for years. Morrow’s candid recollection adds fresh color to a moment that still defines Durant’s career: and the Thunder’s unfinished 2010s dynasty. Meanwhile, Durant continues to chase rings with the Warriors, now in 2026, while the Thunder look to build around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams.

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