Kevin Durant will reportedly opt out of his player option for next season, but plans on re-signing with the Warriors on a team-friendly deal once free agency begins on July 1, according to ESPN’s Chris Haynes.
As Haynes reports, Durant, by signing for $4 million less than the max, allows the Warriors to retain their Bird rights to Andre Iguodala and others by not having to create extra cap room, making it more likely that the Warriors can sign those players and keep their core group intact. The most recent report about Iguodala’s free agency status is that the 2015 NBA Finals MVP will consider other options in free agency because of the opportunity he’ll likely have to command more money on the free agent market.
Durant taking less helps the Warriors in retaining Bird rights on Iguodala, which will allow them to go over the cap to sign him, meaning they can make a better offer that’s closer to what he would get from other teams. By signing a 1-and-1 deal again with the Warriors, Durant can opt out again next year and go after a bigger deal with Golden State (or somewhere else) after they’ve locked up Steph Curry, Iguodala, and the rest.
The decision isn’t a major surprise, considering Durant has noted recently how pleased he has been with his decision to join Golden State, and was rewarded for his decision with his first NBA title and NBA Finals MVP award. That said, it sets up at least one more season of Warriors’ domination and likely more in the future.
Golden State, should Durant opt in to the player option at the back end of this next deal (for 2018-19), would then have Durant’s Bird rights and would be able to go over the cap and give him a max contract in the summer of 2019 if he wants to stay around because he would’ve been with the Warriors for three year. That’s why Durant opting to go this route, with another 1-and-1 contract rather than opting into his player option, is so important for Golden State.
Not only does it set them up to pay Curry the max deal he’s earned, but in two years they can pay Durant his max worth as well if they’re willing to pay the luxury tax bill. Considering the Warriors’ sky-rocketing valuation and impending move to a new arena in San Francisco, there’s no reason to believe they’ll suddenly start penny pinching on a championship squad.
