With an NBA Finals rematch against the Cavaliers set to get underway tonight, the Warriors have more pressing matters on their minds than the coming offseason, but with Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and several other rotation players eligible for free agency, Golden State may have some difficult decisions to make. However, according to Ramona Shelburne and Chris Haynes of ESPN.com, Durant is open to the idea of making those decisions a little easier for the Warriors by accepting less than the maximum salary.
Durant, who signed a two-year contract with the Warriors last July, has a player option in year two, meaning he can opt out this summer and sign a new deal. The former MVP is also finishing up his 10th NBA season, which makes him eligible for a substantially higher max salary. As we outlined on Wednesday, the starting max salary for a player with 10+ years of NBA experience is currently projected to be $35.35MM. That’s significantly higher than Durant’s $27.73MM player option.
In order to create the cap room necessary for a new maximum salary contract for Durant though, the Warriors would almost certainly have to renounce their Bird rights to other key free agents like Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala. Golden State would still be able to give Durant and Curry new long-term maximum salary contracts in that scenario, but would then only have the modest room exception and the minimum salary exception left to add or re-sign players.
On the other hand, if Durant is willing to take less than the max, he could either exercise his player option or turn it down and re-sign a deal based on his Non-Bird rights. Those rights allow for a raise of up to 20%. Since Durant earned about $26.54MM in 2016/17, a 20% raise would take him up to approximately $31.84MM for ’17/18. In that scenario, the Warriors would stay above the cap, allowing them to continue carrying their cap holds for Livingston and Iguodala, retaining those players’ Bird rights and making it much easier to re-sign them.
League sources stressed to Shelburne and Haynes that Durant hasn’t made any final decisions about his contract situation quite yet, but if he’s open to sacrificing about $3.5MM next season, he could give the Warriors much more flexibility to bring back their other free agents. Durant could also sign another short-term deal and potentially opt out to get the bigger max in 2018.
What a team guy. Ask anyone in OKC.
its crazy that ur still mad about his decision. let it go.
People have every right to be mad about his decision. It was one of the weakest moves for a star I’ve ever seen.
Free agency exists for a reason. He is not bound to any one team nor is he any franchise’s property.
Lol get over it man. He gave OKC 9 years. Who can blame a guy for wanting to move to the Bay? The NBA has been super teams for the most part for decades. KD made the choice most of us wish we were in a position to make. The guy has had some tough injuries and may only wanna lace it up for another 5 years or so. Should he spend the rest of his career watching Russell chuck up bricks in the 4th just to make some keyboard warriors feel better? Do ya thing KD. Warriors in 5
As opposed to him going to Boston. You’d be OK with him in Boston right?
Darn that KD…should have signed with the Kings! Or Nets! How dare he choose his own team.
Oh please. He has a right to choose his team, yes. We have a right to be angry he made the strongest stronger in what is now a two team league. I don’t think that’s necessarily bad for the NBA but ridiculing people for being unhappy about it is asinine. Sure, Boston would’ve been great, OKC would’ve been great, Miami would’ve been great, anyone he met with except GS would’ve been fine. It doesn’t have to be Boston, I just wish there was a third team with a legitimate shot. Choosing to go to Golden State was weak, not that there’s anything wrong with wanting to win, but it’s just a lame move that makes the league less exciting to watch. I didn’t watch any playoff game until tonight that didn’t have the Celtics. Nothing else mattered and I only watched Boston since that’s my team. The average fan should at least be intrigued by the conference finals, and yet not one person was. Actually I did watch some Rockets/Spurs but that was it.
It’s crazy that every day a grown man like Paul Pierce or another NBA legend goes on a sports tv show to complain about another grown man choosing his next workplace. And that more grown men complain about it on the internet, what like 7 months later?
I understand why OKC fans feel bettayed, or why the Warriors rivals are pissed, but the rest of y’allare being ridiculous. Stars have been doing this for years and you have become spoiled by the loyalty of Kobe, Dirk, Duncan etc. That behavior is rare and should be celebrated not expected and ridiculed.