NBA: Kevin Durant douses internal issues, plans re-sign with Golden State

Kevin Durant has an option to become a free agent this summer but it seems he has made up his mind. He plans to re-sign with the Golden State Warriors and doesn’t envision himself heading elsewhere.

Durant admitted that he has not given the offseason much thought, though he seems pretty content in Oakland when asked about his next move by Plus/Minus. KD stands to earn US$27,734,405 (AU$36,692,617) next season if he decides to pick up the player option, according to Basketball Reference. With the 2017-18 NBA salary cap projected to balloon to $102 million (AU$135,000,000), as per Basketball Insiders, the only reason for him to opt out is more money.

The Warriors are more than likely to oblige and keep Durant. Along with Steph Curry, both are expected to be offered ridiculously high deals in the summer. If so, the problem is the support group the Warriors have in tow. Should Golden State decide to keep the roster intact, they will face luxury tax payment issues moving forward.

Among the players that could be hit hard are Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston, Bleacher Report reported. Both come off the bench but have proven their value when called upon. They could opt out and check the free agent market where they could get a higher pay.

For both Iguodala and Livingston, it boils down to what they want – championship or money. Both have already achieved the goal of any NBA player: to win an NBA title. They are in their prime right now, so saving up for eventual retirement would point them to the revenue route.

Durant understands the situation and knows that some of the team’s key pieces could be lost this offseason. This could be averted if the Warriors and the concerned players come up with a win-win situation to keep the gang together.

KD’s decision to stay in Oakland negates the belief that there is trouble within. Durant and Draymond Green had their disagreements this season, but all of that was seen as nothing more than emotions getting out of hand. His plans somehow affirm that all is well from within and that no rift exists.

The setup may be different for Durant right now since he is no longer the go-to-guy. He has learned to share the spotlight with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Green but has managed to deliver monster numbers. During the regular season, he managed to average 25.1 points per game with a 53.7-percent shooting clip. If those are numbers done on whittled minutes, one can only imagine how much more he could do if logged in heavier minutes.