The trade deadline is less than a week away, so the Hoops Rumors staff has been busy keeping tabs on all of the latest insights and headlines. Still, we like to post our share of original content throughout the week as well. Here’s a look at some of our favorite features.
- For the first time since signing with the Warriors, former Thunder forward Kevin Durant made his return to Oklahoma City. Fans were predictably hostile toward the superstar as the game approached, enough for us to ask the question how much is too much? Do fans have the right to denounce professional athletes and, if so, what constitutes crossing the line?
- Arthur Hill answered questions in our weekly mailbag feature, including one reader’s question wondering just how much Andre Drummond could yield for the Pistons. Don’t forget to get your own questions in for next week’s mailbag.
- The February 23 trade deadline is right around the corner. Luke Adams is putting together division-by-division break downs, summarizing the overall outlook as the big day approaches. This week he tackled the Atlantic, Northwest and Southeast Divisions.
- A few early trades have already an impact on the fantasy basketball scene. Chris Crouse explains how Aaron Gordon and Jusuf Nurkic could be the big winners from the transactions that have unfolded thus far.
- In case you missed them last time, here are last week’s Hoops Rumors Originals.
As far as Durant is concerned, for those of us in OKC it isn’t just about him leaving… he made comments consistently that led people to believe he cared about the city and wanted to stay. If he had said from the beginning “I love it here, but and going to make the best decision for my family and my career” then I think people would be bummed, but there wouldn’t have been the hatred that spewed out on Saturday. I had tickets and my 7 year old son chose not to go rather than hear all the boos towards his favorite player.
I guess all that to say, he was totally justified leaving, and he definitely could have hand led it worse, but he could have handled it better.