While all NBA eyes currently are focused on the future of Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant still will be the biggest fish who can hit the free agent waters this offseason.
The Golden State Warriors forward has the option to opt out of his contract at the end of the season, and many expect his time in the Bay Area to end after this campaign. Durant, who has won back-to-back NBA Finals MVP awards since joining the Warriors, hasn’t given much insight into his potential offseason plans, but he did reveal something while talking with Yahoo! Sports’ Chris Haynes on his “The Posted Up” podcast.
Haynes asked Durant what was next for his empire, and the 2014 NBA MVP explained what he’s focusing on when he hits free agency.
“I just want to make sure I get as much money as possible on my next deal so I can stack up my money and figure it out,” Durant told Haynes. “That’s just the plan, play basketball and stack money.”
The Warriors are the only team that can offer Durant the five-year, $221 million supermax contract, but Golden State will have decisions to make in the offseason with Durant and teammate Klay Thompson being eligible for lucrative new contracts. The Warriors already signed Stephen Curry to a five-year, $201 million contract, so signing both Durant and Thompson to mega-deals will push them toward an annual payroll that realistically is unfeasible to maintain. There also is the issue of the NBA’s “repeater tax” which penalizes teams that go over the salary-cap limit in four of the previous five seasons.
There will be a number of teams, most notably the New York Knicks, who will chase Durant this offseason, but if making the most money is his priority then it appears the Bay Area might be Durant’s home for quite some time.
