Did Kevin Durant Leak His Free Agency Plans?
Everyone has their own idea of what Kevin Durant will do once he becomes a free agent this summer. Some people think he’ll go to NY where he can be “the man” and cement his legacy by bringing a title to NY (lol). Some people think he’ll find his way to LA. As of now, Vegas has the Clippers at +700 and the Lakers at +155. You hear like one a week from someone “in the know” that Durant is definitely leaving GS. Well, perhaps the man himself gave us a glimpse into what his plans may be. In an episode of the Posted Up With Chris Haynes podcast he had this to say
“I just want to make sure I get as much money as I can on my next deal so I can stack up my money and figure it out. That’s just the plan. Play basketball and stack money.”
No big deal right? Well, you have to look under the layers here. If Durant’s main motivation this summer is money, and whoever can give him the most money, well then that team is GS. He is eligible for a 5/221M supermax with GS, which certainly qualifies as a fuck ton of money. If he were to go somewhere else, Durant would only be able to sign a 4/164M deal, which isn’t nothing, but it also isn’t the highest amount as he can get.
Given the fact that he already gave GS a discount in previous contracts, it’s no surprise that he is probably looking for them to pony up. Honestly the years difference is most likely a nonissue but giving up $60M is certainly no joke when you’ve already taken discounts. Think of how this differs from someone like Anthony Davis, who came out and said money didn’t matter to him when it came to the supermax. His quotes sound like someone who already has a foot out the door. Durant is saying pretty much the exact opposite, that he’ll go to the highest bidder, which again, is the team he currently plays for.
So why would he do this other than the money? Well, if you heard the rumor from Marc Stein the other day, it looks like Boogie may also be considering another one year deal to stay in GS
Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins will reportedly consider spending another season with the Dubs despite the star-studded team’s limited financial resources.
On Tuesday, Marc Stein of the New York Times reported a “wise insider” said Cousins would be willing to field an offer from Golden State to stay after signing there in hopes of rebuilding his value after suffering a torn Achilles in January 2018.
Well that’s just a little terrifying. Granted we have no idea what Boogie will look like once he starts playing again or if the Warriors would even be interested, but perhaps Durant is taking this all into consideration when determining his next move. I think on some level we were all hoping the drama and the beef with Draymond would be enough for Durant to decide to take his talents elsewhere this summer, but if he’s being honest and all he cares about is the money, well then the Warriors Dynasty isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Sigh,