Kevin Durant Discusses Future With Warriors

Kevin Durant shocked the basketball world when he left Russell Westbrook and the Thunder to join the Warriors during the offeason. The 2013/14 MVP signed a two-year, $54.3MM pact, but his contract contains a player option for the second season. He may decide to decline that option, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to leave Golden State, as he tells Sam Amick of USA Today.

“I’m liking it here,” Durant said. “I’m liking everything that’s going on. I know what my contract says, but I didn’t plan on coming here for just a year. I’m in it right now, and I’m also just focusing on day by day.

“I know it’s cliché, and you hear that all the time, but I’m seriously just not thinking about it because I’m like – I’m just in it for the long haul.”

Earlier in the week, owner Joe Lacob said he expects Durant to sign with the team long-term. “I have no angst whatsoever [about re-signing Durant and Stephen Curry],” Lacob said. “I totally am positive [that] I think those guys are going to sign. They’re both free agents. They have a right to do whatever they want. They’ve earned it, and I respect that. If they don’t sign with us for some reason, then shame on me and us. I take responsibility for that. But I don’t see that happening.”

Durant can benefit financially if he declines his player option and hits the market this summer. He would be eligible to receive 35% of the salary cap as his starting salary in a new deal, meaning if he signs a four-year deal, he could make over $150MM.

Durant is enjoying a fantastic first season in the Bay Area. He’s scoring 26.2 points and grabbing a career-high 8.7 rebounds per game. He’s hitting a career-best 54.5% of his shots from the field and he’s only coughing up 2.3 turnovers per game, which is also the best mark of his career.

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