Warriors Rumors: Latest on Kevin Durant Timeline, Contract
Fresh off back-to-back NBA Finals wins over the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Golden State Warriors head into the offseason with essentially their entire crew back in the fold.
In the 2018 NBA draft, they took guard Jordan Evans out of the University of Cincinnati, who will assist them on the defensive side of the ball.
However, they do have one pressing need to address this offseason, and that's locking up forward Kevin Durant.
According to Marc Stein of the New York Times, Durant has reportedly told the Warriors that he will opt out of his $26.3 million option and become a free agent:
However, there's no need to panic. It's safe to assume Durant will return to the Warriors. If he does opt out, Durant can sign a four-year deal worth $158 million this summer.
But then again, Durant could also opt to sign a shorter deal to keep his options open moving forward. That way he can also maximize his earnings, too.
When it comes down to it, Durant is going to be back with the Warriors for the 2018-19 season. It's just a matter of how long his next deal is.
Whatever the length of the contract, the Warriors will be fine with it as they'll be getting a player back who averaged over 26 points per game last season as well as nearly seven rebounds and 5.4 assists.
Not only that, but he's won titles with the Warriors in each of the two seasons he has been with the team and was named NBA Finals MVP in both, too.
Since coming to the Warriors, Durant has faced a lot of scrutiny, but he has not been afraid to respond to his critics. For example, he went on that Twitter spree following the Warriors parade during the 2016-2017 season?
But then there's the other kind of response. Recently, Durant spoke with Jimmy Kimmel about partying after winning and also Cavaliers forward J.R. Smith's blunder back during Game 1. He was even asked about whether LeBron James could join the Warriors (spoiler: he didn't give a solid answer).
In that same interview, Durant also said he plans on staying with the Warriors and invited free agents to join the team, even though they might face some backlash. However, he said he uses the Larry O'Brien trophy as his pitch.
According to OddsShark, the Warriors are +125 (bet $100 to win $125) to three-peat this upcoming season, and you can bet Durant has a big part in that.
