The NBA free agency period begins July 1 at 12:01 a.m. ET, but for the West Coast, it begins 9:01 pm Saturday, and while the NBA world will be focused on the Lakers-LeBron James-Kawhi Leonard-Paul George saga, the Warriors will work to lock up their go-to bucket getter, Kevin Durant.
A now two-time NBA Champion and Finals MVP, Durant has already accomplished what he and the Warriors hoped to do when they acquired him: win rings.
And while the ring-winning isn’t done yet, Durant has a decision to make this summer about his future and whether it includes living in the Bay Area.
Don’t worry Dub Nation, he’s sticking with you.
“I’m planning on staying with the Warriors and we’ll figure the rest out,” Durant told ESPN mid-June.
Despite Durant ensuring his commitment to the Bay, a recent rumor sparked by Stephen A. Smith insisted LeBron texted Durant about teaming up in Los Angeles, although LeBron’s camp denied the report, according to Joe Vardon of cleveland.com.
The only question left unanswered now is: how long does Durant plan on staying with the Warriors?
Last summer, the four-time scoring champ signed a two-year, $51 million deal with a second year player option. He took $10 million less than the league max so the Warriors could retain veterans Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston who showed their worth come the postseason.
But now, Durant is an unrestricted free agent after declining his player option in April, and he’s eligible for a max contract.
The 9x All Star also told ESPN that he could retire from the game at the age of 35, which is six years from now as Durant is 29.
So is the former league MVP looking for a long-term deal to close out his career in the Bay Area? Or is he looking for another short deal with a player option?
While it’s likely the former, there’s a slight chance that Durant signs a shorter contract to the tune of two years a with a third-year option.
Hear me out.
Durant might not want to finish his time on the court without having won a championship elsewhere, or at least trying to do so.
The Slim Reaper has cruised to two titles since joining the Warriors to the tune of a 32-5 postseason record in that span. Yeah, that’s cruising.
It’s almost been too easy, and you’d have to be crazy to think Durant hasn’t thought the same.
And while leaving the most dominant team in the league sounds unheard of, it’s a possibility.
There’s surely some unrest with Durant about joining the 73-9 team that knocked him out of the Western Conference Finals in 2016, and the constant social media flak doesn’t go unnoticed.
Expect him to re-sign with the back-to-back champs early on in the free agency frenzy and expect a four or five-year contract, but don’t be surprised if the former league MVP only sticks around for another two or three years.