After winning the 2017 NBA Finals MVP and helping to lead the Golden State Warriors to a championship, Kevin Durant took less than his maximum contract in order to facilitate roster additions for his team. Then, during the 2017-2018 season, repeated indications emerged that Durant has no plans to leave Oakland, even if he plans to make the formal step to become a free agent and open the door for a more lucrative pay day.
From there, of course, Durant earned his second straight Finals MVP and the Warriors won their third title in four seasons. In short, everything appears to be okay for Golden State and, when prompted about upcoming contract negotiations, Warriors GM Bob Myers essentially waved the white flag before July 1 even arrives.
Bob Myers said his contract offer to Kevin Durant can start at max money and max years, but KD controls the negotiation: "Whatever he wants" pic.twitter.com/phkR6z62UP
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) June 11, 2018
The money quote here is that Myers concedes Durant can have “whatever he wants,” but the respected front office executive also alludes to last summer in which Durant sacrificed financially for the good of the organization. Of course, it remains to be seen as to whether Durant would actually want to lock in for a lengthy multi-year contract but Myers asserts that he would love to have Durant for the next decade and it is, of course, tough to blame him. The question here isn’t whether KD signs or whether he takes the max, but how many years he’ll be signing on for, because as he enters his year 30 season he could manipulate it to get one more crack at a long-term max in two or three more years rather than the full four he can receive.
Golden State has fewer contract decisions to make this time around, with only supporting pieces like Pat McCaw, Kevon Looney, and JaVale McGee facing free agency during the summer of 2018. There are always rumblings that the Warriors could look to shake up their core but, until they fall short of the ultimate glory again, that feels unlikely and, according to Myers, Durant can essentially dictate the terms to the Warriors.
That is a right reserved for only the best of the best in the NBA but, much like the case of LeBron James, virtually every team in the league would be jockeying for position to sign Durant and not even the Warriors have any leverage here.
