We don’t know what next year has in-store for Kevin Durant. We’re not even sure the extent of his supposed Achilles tendon injury. It was already a big question whether Duran would return to the Golden State Warriors next season, or if he would sign elsewhere.
But Durant’s injury reportedly won’t stop teams from offering him a max contract this summer if he decides to opt out.
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, at least three teams the former front office executive talked to this week said they would still make a maximum offer to Durant even if he had to sit out the entirety of the 2019-20 NBA season.
Via “Get Up”:“I talked to three teams and I didn’t even get the question out. I said ‘If you had cap space would you go out and sign Kevin Durant knowing that he will likely be out maybe the whole year?’
The resounding answer was ‘Yes.’”
This should come as no shock to people. Even with the poor history of NBA players recovering from Achilles tendon injuries — and with the potential to burn a significant amount of money with a player on the injured reserve — Durant is an all-time great.
Still, Durant’s injury throws a wrench into the plans of several teams this summer. If he decides to leave Golden State, his arrival to his new team will then push back the kind of planning that front office needs to do. If Durant signs with a new team, that organization is not eligible for any reimbursement via insurance for his current injury.
This upcoming free agency period was already going to be nuts, but this is some cold water on a summer that was already starting to heat up.