2017 NBA free agency grades: Warriors get Kevin Durant discount
The Golden State Warriors look to defend their title by keeping All-Star Kevin Durant on their roster for two more years.
The Golden State Warriors finished the 2016-17 season with an NBA-best record of 67-15 and won a championship in the process. It’s no secret that Kevin Durant played a large role in that success, and with the reigning Finals MVP becoming an unrestricted free agent this offseason, he allowed the Warriors to retain him at a discounted price to keep a potential dynasty intact.
Durant joined the Warriors during the 2016 free agency period. He signed on after failing to beat them during the 2016 Western Conference Finals, despite the Oklahoma City Thunder having a 3-1 lead against the Warriors.
When an All-Star like Durant is signed, chemistry is the biggest concern. It did not take the Warriors long to learn how to play with Kevin Durant. They had excellent ball movement, played team defense and were unstoppable on offense. Durant is a superstar but he doesn’t have to be all the time. That made him an excellent fit for the Warriors right away.
Durant’s stats didn’t drop too much despite the Warriors having a lot of different scoring options. He averaged 28.2 points during the 2015-16 season with the Thunder. That average only dropped 25.1 this past season. He was very efficient on the Warriors, shooting a career high field goal percentage of 53.7 percent.
NBA teams did not bother contacting Kevin Durant during free agency. It was pretty clear that he wanted to re-sign with Golden State, as Chris Haynes of ESPN reported in the following tweet.
ESPN Sources: With Kevin Durant technically a free agent, teams haven't reached out to gauge his mindset knowing it would be a waste of time
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 1, 2017
It was not surprising when Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors agreed to a two-year, $53 million deal, per Chris Haynes. The second year is a player option.
ESPN Sources: Kevin Durant will agree to re-sign with Golden State on a two-year, approximately $53 million deal, league sources tell ESPN.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 3, 2017
Signing Kevin Durant for $26.5 million a year is an absolute steal.
Durant opted to chase his second ring instead of a big payday. Allowing the Warriors to sign him at a discount helps the Warriors remain the NBA favorite for at least the next two seasons — and most likely beyond, since he’ll be able to opt out next summer and sign a five-year supermax.
The Warriors return their nucleus from last season. They already secured two other crucial pieces in Stephen Curry and Andre Iguodala, as well as Shaun Livingston and David West. Curry was a lock to re-sign with the Warriors just like Durant. Iguodala, on the other hand, met with a couple of teams before announcing on his own tweet that he was returning to the Bay Area.
To put in perspective the discount Durant gave the Warriors, below are what other players are going for in free agency. Durant is clearly better than any player below but was willing to take only $26.5 million a year — sacrificing $7 million — to play another season with the Warriors.
- Jrue Holiday deal with the New Orleans Pelicans worth $25.2 million a year
- J.J. Redick deal with the Philadelphia 76ers worth $23 million for one year
- Paul Millsap deal with the Denver Nuggets worth $30 million a year
- Blake Griffin deal with the Los Angeles Clippers worth $34.6 million a year
Next: 2017 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far
The Warriors clearly struck gold signing Kevin Durant as cheap as they did. It is a move that allows them to keep multiple high-caliber players and remain the team to beat in the NBA. The Warriors earn a very high grade on this free agency signing, which keeps this juggernaut fully intact.