This summer, Kevin Durant has the opportunity to opt out of his deal with the Warriors. All expectations are that he will. But Durant continues to reiterate that it'll be a financial decision, not a relocation decision. He wants to remain with the Warriors.
"I love it here," Durant told The Undefeated in a recent interview. "I love my teammates. I love the city (of Oakland). I love the organization. I love it here. I don't plan on going anywhere else."
But Durant does have a decision to make. He will be eligible for the mega max, which should start somewhere around $36 million. But if he's willing to take a paycut _ only a 20 percent increase on his salary this season, starting at $31.8 million _ it'll give the Warriors more flexibility in their attempt to keep Andre Iguodala and/or Shaun Livingston, two other unrestricted free agents.
But either way, Durant's return to the Warriors sounds like a formality. Despite being an unrestricted free agent, he has not only stated his desire to return, but already scheduled a basketball camp in Oakland during mid-September, right before training camp opens.
"I made the 100 percent correct decision, win or lose," Durant told The Undefeated. "I feel like this is the place I was supposed to be. I appreciate everything I've done before this. But I'm here now and I feel like it's a great spot for me to be."
