Kevin Durant has finally done it! He is no longer "just another" great player without a ring, he is now an NBA champion and nobody can take that away from him. Whether you like him or not, whether you approve his decision to join the Warriors or not, you have to respect what he's been able to do this past season. Durant joined the Golden State Warriors last summer as a free-agent after he had just lost to that same Warriors team in the Western Conference Finals just weeks before the free agency started.
One of the main reasons for Durant's departure from Oklahoma to Golden State was the team play and selfishness that the Warriors have.
He wanted to be a part of a group that enjoys themselves and genuinely plays basketball the "right way." This turned out to be a great move by Durant, as he ended up winning his first and the long-awaited championship ring. Not only did he help the Warriors win the title in the Finals against the Cavaliers, he was actually the best player on the court in that series and he ended up with the Finals MVP award. He averaged 35.2 points per game while shooting 55% from the field throughout the five games of the NBA Finals.
What's next for Durant?
Kevin Durant has one more year left on his contract with the Warriors, and he is projected to earn over $27 million in the 2017/2018 season. ESPN's Chris Haynes reported on Monday that it is more than likely that Durant will opt out of this final year of his contract, and, technically speaking, become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st.
According to ESPN, Durant will momentarily hit free agency and decline his player option for the 2017/2018 season, in order to re-sign with the team for less money.
As a 10-year veteran in the NBA, he would be eligible for the max-contract but Durant is likely to take less money and improve the Warriors' chances of keeping the core group together.
He will take about $4 million less on his new contract and sign a new "one plus one" deal with player option in the last year.
Is Iguodala leaving the Warriors?
Reports have it that Durant taking less money is all about keeping Andre Iguodala on the Warriors. Iguodala has been the key piece of Golden State's championship run this year and in 2015 also, when he won Finals MVP award.
Iguodala will become a free-agent on July 1st, and apparently, he will explore the market in order to get the best deal. There's no doubt that Iguodala can get more money somewhere else, but only the Warriors can offer him a genuine shot at winning the championship and playing with other great players along the way. Durant's sacrifice is just one of the many examples of what the Warriors have been able to create lately and what a special group of guys they are.
