Kevin Durant is reportedly planning to turn down his player option with the Golden State Warriors for the 2017-2018 season and become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, but he will still sign and stay on with the team with whom he won his first-ever NBA championship.
Durant, who was the 2017 NBA Finals MVP, is turning down a salary of approximately $28 million, available through the player option, in order to improve the Warriors’ chances of re-signing Andre Iguodala, according to ESPN. By taking $4 million less than he would earn as a 10-year veteran and waiting at least another season to get his long-term extension, Durant is enabling the Warriors to exceed their salary cap and ink a lucrative deal with Iguodala that would be worth as much as he could get on the open market.
According to ESPN, Durant will sign another one-plus-one deal, which carries a player option at the end.
For his part, Durant has repeatedly said that he will stay with the Warriors; he has planted roots in the Bay Area both personally and professionally, including business deals with YouTube, Acorns and Postmates.
The Warriors’ ability to keep both Durant and Iguodala means that the team will come into the 2017-2018 season as champions with their core players still in place, making them an ongoing force to be reckoned with.
Read more at ESPN.
