NBA Rumors: Kevin Durant To Re-Sign With Golden State Warriors?

The Golden State Warriors, who won the 2017 NBA Championship this month, would like to retain the team that got them the Larry O'Brien trophy. The team has its sight on keeping its Finals MVP in a Warriors uniform, as Kevin Durant will decline his player option and become an unrestricted free agent, ESPN reported Monday.

"Golden State Warriors superstar Kevin Durant will decline his player option for the 2017-18 season and technically become an unrestricted free agent beginning July 1, but he will re-sign with the team," league sources told Chris Haynes of ESPN. "All signs, according to sources, point to Durant signing another one-plus-one pact, which carries a player option at the end."

An official discussion has not yet taken place, but sources told ESPN that Durant became an unrestricted free agent when he declined his $27.7 million player option Monday. The option made Durant eligible for a Non-Bird Exception, which would garner him $31.8 million next season. His max salary would have been upwards of $35 million. Durant averaged 25.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists in his first season in Golden State.

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However, he will ultimately re-sign with his championship Warriors. Apparently, the all-star will take less money to make sure that the players that were vital during the team’s championship can afford to re-sign comfortably, like bench players Andre Iguodala’ and Shawn Livingston, for example. The Warriors were able to provide comfortable extensions and deals to their premier players Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, while also having enough space under the cap to sign Kevin Durant to his contract last summer.

The Warriors also plan to re-sign their point guard Steph Curry to a max deal this offseason. Curry, who is a free agent, will reportedly sign up for the veteran's maximum, a potential five-year extension with a payout of about $205 million — the largest contract in NBA history.

Under the terms of the deal, Curry should see more than $200 million, which is expected to hold him in a Warriors jersey until the 2021-22 season. The all-star was the Warriors' fourth-highest salaried player at $12.1 million, trailing Durant, Thompson and Green. LeBron James had the highest salary in the NBA this past season, and he made about $31.0 million.

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The Golden State Warriors guard potential contract is perhaps well-deserved. He has averaged 25.3 points per game, his second-best career numbers. Curry scored a league-high 319 three-pointers. He has been the reigning three-point shooter in the NBA over the past five seasons with the most three-pointers made.

Durant wants to continue to play with Curry, the best shooter in the NBA. He intends to stay a Warrior, that much may be clear. After all, he faced heavy scrutiny when he ditched his former Oklahoma City Thunder team to join Steph Curry and the Warriors last season. He seemingly wants to do all he can to stay, even if that means less money in his pocket.