Warriors fans' cheers had hardly stopped echoing, and the defeated Thunder's offseason was barely a half-hour old before someone mentioned the elephant in the room.
Or, more precisely, the most in-demand pending free agent in the room.
Superstar Kevin Durant, 27, was in no mood to address the looming process moments after OKC's 96-88 Game 7 loss to the Warriors on Monday night.
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"I mean, we just lost like 30 minutes ago, so I haven't even thought about it," Durant told reporters in his news conference. "I'm just embracing my teammates and just reflecting on the season. I'll think about that stuff, I don't know when. But we just lost an hour ago, 30 minutes ago, so I don't know."
Even with that answer, this much is clear:
— The seven-time All-Star, who has played his entire nine-year career with the Thunder, will this summer be one of the most highly sought-after free agents in NBA history. Period.
— The salary cap is skyrocketing, and many teams — including the Warriors and Spurs, the Thunder's playoff nemeses this year (and beyond) — will be in position to offer a max contract, starting at almost $26 million per season.
— Still, staying in OKC would be very lucrative. If Durant opts to remain with the Thunder, a five-year contract would be worth a projected $149 million. A max contract with another team would be a projected $111 million over four years. Big difference.
— There's another scenario, ESPN.com noted: Durant could sign a one- or a two-year deal with a player option on the second season. Given cap growth and the fact that Durant would reach the 10-year career threshold, he then would be eligible for the biggest max contract. Durant could make a projected $228 million over the next six seasons if he stays in Oklahoma City, or "only" up to $176 million over five years if he leaves the Thunder, this summer or next.
On Monday, however, he focused on the recent past with the Thunder: "When you sit down and look back at what happened throughout the season, you can be proud of not just the players, but everybody in the organization, from the top to the bottom, people that you guys don't know or ever see contribute to what we bring out on the court. That's just pride, effort, passion, love for the game. Pure love for the game every single night, and that comes from just walking into our practice facility every single day and feeling those vibes and feeling that energy from everyone. I'm just proud of what we've all been through this season. We stuck together and we sacrificed for each other. That's just what makes this game so special."
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But while Durant was hesitant to look into the future — for now — others were more eager to begin the process.
Case in point: The Sixers' Joel Embiid, who wasted little time Monday starting the process. "Time to RECRUIT KD," he tweeted.
