Lacob Has ‘Every Expectation’ Durant Will Re-Sign

While they may not be chasing history as they were last year, all signs point to the Warriors being as scary a team as ever now with Kevin Durant in the mix. Speaking today at the groundbreaking of the franchise’s new arena in San Francisco, team owner Joe Lacob mentioned to Marc Spears of The Undefeated that he has “every expectation” that their recently acquired superstar will re-sign with the team long-term.

Last summer, Durant opted to leave the Thunder to join Stephen Curry and the 2015 NBA champions, but the contract he signed for $26.5MM in 2016/17 has a player option for the 2017/18 campaign. Given the rising salary cap, Durant is in line to make more money if he opts out and signs a new contract. In fact, eligible to receive as much as 35% of the cap because he’ll be a 10-year veteran, Durant could sign a four-year deal, worth over $150MM.

Asked directly if he had any news to share with the team owners regarding his pending free agency, Durant simply said, “it will be fun playing [in the new Chase Center],” reports Anthony Slater of the Mercury News.

In 41 games for the Warriors, Durant has averaged 25.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game and the Warriors currently pace the Western Conference with a 35-6 record. That considered, while much can change between now and the summer, there’s no obvious basketball reason for the two parties to part ways.

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