Kevin Durant Rumors: Golden State Warriors star officially declines player option, becomes free agent (report)

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2019/06/kevin-durant-rumors-golden-state-warriors-star-officially-declines-player-option-becomes-free-agent-report.html




Kevin Durant Rumors: Golden State Warriors star officially declines player option, becomes free agent (report)




Today 11:51 AM




By John Karalis | JKaralis@masslive.com




After Kevin Durant went down with a ruptured Achilles tendon during the NBA Finals, there were some questions about how he’d handle free agency.

Some players may have chosen to opt-in to their final year, considering the uncertainty caused by such a traumatic injury. Kevin Durant isn’t like most players, though. He’s one of the few who will not lose any money even after one of the worst injuries a basketball player could suffer. So, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Durant is opting out of his $31.5 million option to set himself up for his next payday.



Adrian Wojnarowski

@wojespn
Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant has declined his $31.5M player option and will become an unrestricted free agent, league sources tell ESPN. Durant and his business manager Rich Kleiman are in New York, evaluating free agency options. So far, process has stayed private.

31.9K
5:37 PM - Jun 26, 2019


The expectation has been for some time that Durant is on his way to New York, though the original rumors were that he’d be joining the New York Knicks. Now, with his good friend Kyrie Irving reportedly set to join the Brooklyn Nets, there’s a growing chorus of belief that Durant will join him there as well.

Both teams seem willing to pay him for the year he’ll miss as he returns from that injury.

However, there is a plan floating out there that would allow Durant to re-sign for a full, five-year max contract with the Warriors and then get traded to his preferred destination. It’s possible that his new team could keep the cap space open and absorb him into that, effectively saving money for a year and keeping Durant under contract for four healthy years.

The Warriors, under that scenario, would get a valuable $40 million trade exception which they could use to trade for players for one year before it expires.

However Durant plays it, he’s not letting on to what his intentions are. His decision could have a big ripple effect on the league, and there have already been rumblings that Brooklyn’s interest in Irving is at least somewhat contingent on Durant joining him there.


The Los Angeles Lakers are watching this closely, because a Durant/Irving pairing would force the Nets to renounce the rights to D’Angelo Russell, paving the way for a possible reunion in Los Angeles.



bob


.