Durant to leave OKC for Warriors

Seven-time All-Star Kevin Durant will leave the Oklahoma City Thunder to join the Golden State Warriors.

Durant was available as a free agent and speculation soon mounted that the 27-year-old would make his way to the Oracle Arena to sign with the Warriors, who set a regular-season NBA record of 73 wins last season.

Announcing his decision on The Players’ Tribune, Durant wrote: “The primary mandate I had for myself in making this decision was to have it based on the potential for my growth as a player as that has always steered me in the right direction.

“But I am also at a point in my life where it is of equal importance to find an opportunity that encourages my evolution as a man: moving out of my comfort zone to a new city and community which offers the greatest potential for my contribution and personal growth.

“With this in mind, I have decided that I am going to join the Golden State Warriors.”

Durant has spent his entire NBA career with the Thunder having been drafted number two overall by the then Seattle SuperSonics in 2007 and has been hugely influential in Oklahoma.

He was voted Rookie of the Year in 2008 and NBA MVP in 2014, as well as being named an NBA All-Star seven times and leading the league scoring four times in his career.

Durant reportedly met with six teams over the weekend as he prepared to make his decision: the Thunder, Warriors, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers.

His signing will be a big boost for a Warriors side that failed to retain their NBA title this season having let a 3-1 lead slip to Cleveland Cavaliers in the best-of-seven NBA Finals.