Durant’s Unselfish Nature Allows The Warriors To Remain Light Years Ahead
Despite being one of the most expected moves in free agency, Kevin Durant surprised people re-signing with the Warriors for significantly less than expected.
Stats: 25.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 53.7 Field Goal percentage
Fit: It was clear from the start that Durant was coming back, as he said the night of Golden State’s championship clinching game. Durant proved his worth when it mattered most in his first season in the Bay. He had arguably the best scoring Finals we have ever seen this past season, and will only be needed more down the road as more and more superteams are forming.
Grade: A++++
Kevin Durant has re-upped with the Warriors on a 2-year, $53 million contract, with a player option for the second year. Durant is making roughly $26.5 million per year with this contract, which is no small number. But, when you consider Durant’s max contract exceeds $35 million per year, this is a franchise altering hit Durant took.
It was originally reported the 2017 Finals MVP would take a deal worth about $31.5 million per year so the team could re-sign Andre Iguodala. He shocked the basketball world by taking millions of dollars less than previously thought.
Durant ended up taking a pay-cut that allowed the team to not only re-sign a vital piece of their core, but also avoid millions of dollars worth of luxury tax in the future. This was truly a selfless act by a superstar that benefited the entire Warriors organization.
On his new contract, Durant now gets paid less money annually than players such as Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, Paul Millsap, Kyle Lowry, Mike Conley, and possibly Otto Porter. This $9.5 million pay-cut will allow the Warriors to re-sign core players such as Draymond Green and Klay Thompson down the line, without taking as much of a hit in the luxury tax.
This past season, it may have seemed the NBA lacked parity and it may stay that way for a while, but with the emergence of these mini-superteams out West, we should not expect to see the Warriors nearly run the table in the postseason next year. Durant choosing to take this massive pay-cut in order to keep the core intact will lead to nothing but success down the road for the Golden State Warriors.
