Kevin Durant leaves: not mad, just disappointed

Waking up around 8:00 a.m. Mountain Time, I rolled over to grab my phone expecting an announcement from Kevin Durant regarding his free agency decision.

Hoping for the best and not expecting the worst at all, I saw the Bleacher Report update pop up on my phone:

"Kevin Durant pens free agency decision, "My Next Chapter," chooses Golden State Warriors."

My heart drop and my throat became tight. He did it. He really left a possible championship team already in place with the Thunder for one of the greatest teams in NBA history in the Golden State Warriors.

What. The. Hell.

Look, I understand the decision from a basketball standpoint. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green are a much better supporting cast than Russell Westbrook, Victor Oladipo, Enes Kanter and Steven Adams.

That's quite simple to understand from a basketball standpoint, but let's be honest:  it was a weak move from Kevin Durant.

I don't blame him for wanting to join up with the Warriors and become one of the greatest dynasties in sports history, should they reach the top of the mountain year after year in the NBA landscape, but what I couldn't process was how he left a team that was ready to compete for an NBA title now for the team that just beat him in the Western Conference Finals after holding a 3-1 lead.

This one hurts; it hurts very, very badly. I truly honestly didn't think KD would leave the Thunder, considering the money he could make with OKC, and the roster that was already in place.

Granted, I know he has a $300 million endorsement deal with Nike, so money isn't an issue for him, but why wouldn't someone of his stature take the most money in FA, especially with a great team like Oklahoma City?

Now, we're stuck worrying about what Russell Westbrook does now. There's reportedly "no chance" he signs an extension before free agency next summer.

Fortunately, this is Westbrook's team now where him and Kanter will be the feature pieces in the pick-and-roll next season, should the Thunder hold onto Westbrook and look to sign him long-term.

However, should he not commit and look to test free agency, the Thunder would really be at a loss — one that could be franchise crippling — if they lost two superstars to free agency in two consecutive summers.

What once looked to be a very promising future has now come crashing down without Durant in the fold.

No, the Thunder won't be terrible, but they won't be a favorite to reach the Western Conference Finals for the fifth time in seven seasons.

Westbrook will likely go off this season and should be the prohibitive favorite to win the MVP award as the straw that stirs the drink for the Thunder this season. There's still hope for this team and franchise heading into the 2016-17 season with Russ, Kanter, Adams and Oladipo under Billy Donovan.

They still have cap space and Sam Presti is one of the best minds in basketball, so who knows what he'll pull off.

But one day after losing the face of the franchise to Golden State, the gut punch still hurts and it's still equally as hard to swallow, especially after seeing Durant's photo take down from Chesapeake Bay Arena, Monday morning.

I wish nothing but the best for KD and refuse to foster ill will towards one of the best players this franchise will ever see, but just like when your parents tell you they're "not mad, but just disappointed," that's the worst thing you can hear from them.

That's how I'm feeling at this point with Durant.