After hosting potential suitors at the Hamptons last summer, don’t expect a repeat performance from Kevin Durant in free agency this year.
Appearing on the Warriors Plus-Minus podcast, Durant said staying in Golden State will be an easy decision, relays host Tim Kawakami of The San Jose Mercury News.
“Obviously I’m thinking about the playoffs right now,” Durant said. “Haven’t even thought about [free agency] that much. But I don’t plan on going anywhere else.”
Durant rocked the NBA last July 4th when he announced that he was leaving Oklahoma City to join the Warriors. The two-year contract he signed contained a player option that gives him the freedom to negotiate an even larger deal this offseason.
Durant is eligible for a max contract starting at about $36MM for 2017/18. However, the Warriors don’t have his Bird rights because they just signed him a year ago, so much of that salary would have to come from cap space. To make that happen, Golden State would have to renounce Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston.
Kawakami notes that if Durant were to agree to a 20% raise, it would bump his salary from $26.5MM to $31.8MM without draining cap room. The team does have Bird rights on Iguodala and Livingston, so both could subsequently be retained without affecting the cap.
One possibility for Durant is another two-year deal with a player option for next summer, which creates the opportunity for an even larger contract starting with 2018/19.
“Like I said I haven’t thought about it, but obviously you want to keep this group together,” Durant said when asked about that possibility. “We want to see how far we can go with this thing. I’m sure once the season’s over with, we’ll figure that stuff out, everybody. I’m sure it’ll all work out for the best.”
Durant added that he is comfortable with his decision to come to the Bay Area, and he believes it’s the “perfect place” for him to play.
He’ll get 3 rings over the next 5 years, Lebron will get 2 more.
LeBron’s last chance for a ring is this year.
Why?
Agreed on LeBron, this is it, provided he stays in Cleveland.
As for Durant, the award for least surprising statement goes to…
Nah Lebron has another 3-4 superstar years, he’ll get 2 more because Kyrie is the next Kobe
Some guys forget how tough it is to win a championship.
As soon as Durant signed we all heard two or three championships at the least.
There’s 30 teams in the league and a lot of hard-working great players.
Winning a championship takes everything and to do that again the next year is extremely tough. That’s what makes the Bulls of the nineties and Michael Jordan such an incredible accomplishment.
I’m not saying the Warriors won’t win a couple but it’s not that easy that’s for sure.