Joe Lacob: ‘Of course' the Warriors will have to re-recruit Kevin Durant next summer

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In case you've been living under a rock for the last couple of months ...

Back in early July, Kevin Durant re-signed with the Warriors. The contract essentially is another one-year pact because it includes a player option in 2019-20, and Durant assuredly will opt out and again become a free agent.

So, is Warriors owner Joe Lacob at all concerned that Durant didn't sign a multiyear extension?

"Sure. I would have liked to have had him -- we would have liked to have had him -- been here longer; sign a long-term deal," Lacob told The Athletic's Tim Kawakami on The TK Show Podcast. "But on the other hand, we're happy to have him. And you know, by him signing a one-year deal, it did save us a little bit of money actually.

"So it allows us to do some other things. Like maybe we wouldn't have DeMarcus Cousins as an example. KD's been great. He's my hero, man. He has been a really good partner for us. He's taken a little bit of a discount the last few years to allow us to do a few extra things.

"And I'm never gonna forget that."

[REWIND: Hey Kevin Durant -- will you take another $10 million pay cut? 'Would that be smart?']

In the summer of 2017, Durant could have signed a max deal that would have paid him about $34.7 million in 2017-18. He ended up signing for $25 million, which allowed the Warriors to retain Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston.

This summer, Durant also could have signed a max deal that would have paid him about $35.6 million in 2018-19, but that would have required him to sign for at least two guaranteed years (not including options). He chose a route that will pay him $30 million this season and ensure flexibility moving forward.

So yes, Durant has saved the Warriors about $15 million in salary, plus tens of millions more in luxury tax penalties.

Next summer, Durant will be eligible to sign a five-year max deal with Golden State worth over $221 million.

He also might decide to leave the Warriors, and Lacob understands the franchise will have to re-recruit the two-time NBA Finals MVP.

"Of course we do," Lacob told Kawakami. "He deserves to be able to go and be happy wherever he wants to be. I hope it's here. And I hope he feels the same that way I do, and we do, about him when it comes time next summer. But you never can predict these things.

"We just will do our job and he'll do his job, and we'll see what happens next summer. And let the chips fall where they may."

Drew Shiller is the co-host of Warriors Outsiders. Follow him on Twitter @DrewShiller

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