Donovan departs Thunder after five seasons

The move announced by the club comes less a week after the Thunder lost Game 7 of the their first-round Western Conference playoff series to the Houston Rockets 104-102.Donovan, 55, completed the five-year deal with the Thunder that he signed in April 2015.Thunder general manager Sam Presti said in a statement, in part, “We had planned to sit down at the end of the season and discuss the best way to move forward for both of us. After those discussions, it became apparent that we couldn’t provide him the information on the future direction of the team over the next several seasons to give him the level of clarity that he understandably desires at this stage of his career. Therefore, we close this chapter and reflect fondly on all that he has given to the team, organization and community. Billy will always have a place in the Thunder family.”

Donovan said in a statement, in part, “Coaching the Oklahoma City Thunder the past five seasons has been a great honor, and I thank (team owner Clayton) Bennett, Sam and the entire organization for the opportunity. I have a great respect and admiration for the players I coached in Oklahoma, and I also want to thank the coaches I worked with, who gave unbelievable time and expertise to our common goal.”

The Thunder weren’t viewed as a playoff contender entering the season, as their two top scorers from 2018-19, Paul George and Russell Westbrook, had exited. However, they tied the Rockets for the fourth-best regular-season record in the Western Conference at 44-28, then pushed Houston to the limit in the playoffs.

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