The summer of Kevin Durant has arrived.
What will the superstar do in free agency?
Marc Stein of ESPN:
Most insiders see the most likely scenario at present to be Kevin Durant staying in OKC on a two-year max deal with an opt-out after Year 1.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 31, 2016
File this under: Do they know something? Executives around the league are sometimes better positioned to gain and share inside information, but sometimes, they’re supposing just like the rest of us. The possibility of the former makes this noteworthy, but don’t rule out the latter.
Durant signing a two-year contract with a player option would make a lot of sense. He’ll be eligible for a much higher max in 2017, because he’ll have 10 years of experience and the salary cap will continue to skyrocket. He could also spend another season with an excellent Thunder team that just beat the Spurs and pushed the Warriors to a Game 7. Plus, his next free agency would coincide with Russell Westbrook’s in 2017. That way, Durant could stay with this team that should compete for a title next year without getting trapped in Oklahoma City if Westbrook leaves.
It’s easy to assign our values to this situation and then say what Durant should do, but this is about what matters to him. How important is money? How much risk is he willing to take on a short contract? Does he want to stay with Westbrook and his other teammates? Does he believe other teams offer him a greater chance to win a championship?
There are so many issues for him to weigh, and he’ll surely give teams an opportunity to pitch him come July. He’ll gather more information before signing.
That is to say, if Durant is leaning one direction – and I’m not sure he is yet – so much still stands between now and him signing.
