Former Kevin Durant teammate offers candid insight concerning Durant's departure

Undoubtedly, Kevin Durant's July 4 spurning of the Oklahoma City Thunder cast an indelible shadow throughout Thunder nation. However, as initial acrimony has slightly abated with the passage of time, one former teammate has gone on record to lend unique insight regarding Durant's situation.

Saturday, Thunder guard Anthony Morrow, who spent two seasons alongside Durant, had these comments for Sirius XM Radio concerning K.D.'s thought process leading into that now monumental holiday weekend.

"The thing is — with me personally — we talked all offseason, and it wasn’t really about basketball. Nothing was really basketball. It was just whatever’s going on with our families and stuff like that. So, for him to make that decision, I didn’t feel betrayed or anything like that. I think we were more shocked at where he went and all that. I think that was more of a shocking factor right there. But other than that, it is what it is. I didn’t feel like he owed me anything, but at the same time it is what it is. It’s business; it’s basketball. That’s that man’s career. That’s that man’s life, and he made his own decision as a man. Like it or love it, hate it or love it, he made his decision."

While Morrow's appraisal of Durant's verdict is neutral at worst, the views held by former K.D. colleagues Russell Westbrook and Enes Kanter are a stark contrast. Both Westbrook and Kanter publicly lambasted the manner with which Durant orchestrated his two-year $54.3 million accord with rival Golden State.

I ain't gonna join the enemy
I'm here to compete pic.twitter.com/2Elu93b4P5

— Enes Kanter (@Enes_Kanter) August 4, 2016

In addition to Kanter's social media jabs, Westbrook outright stated the 2014 MVP made little effort to contact him prior to jumping ship.

"I talked to Kevin early on in the process. But nothing after. Just a text message from him, that's about it."

Russell Westbrook on Kevin Durant's lack of offseason communication

Exactly one month following what many call the darkest day in Oklahoma City sports, Westbrook lifted the city's dejected spirits by signing a three-year $85.7 million extension.

Even after Westbrook's respite, within a community still harboring open wounds, Morrow's live-and-let-live approach may serve him well next season. With Durant gone, the eight-year sharpshooter will likely see increased floor time to improve upon sub-par 15'-16' averages of 5.6 points and 0.9 rebounds in just 13.6 minutes of action.

Moving ahead, the Oklahoma City Thunder would do well to adopt Morrow's brand of forward thinking.