Drama surrounding player decisions in free agency has turned the NBA into a yearlong spectacle. Whenever a star player approaches the end of his contract, all eyes begin to shift toward what their move will be in the offseason.
It seems like almost every week Paul George delivers another ambiguous quote about whether he'll head to Los Angeles, or LeBron James ducks another question about his future in Cleveland. It makes sense that reporters care about what the league's stars are planning on doing, but where is Kevin Durant in all of this?
Durant's contract allows for a $26.25 million player option for next season. Even if the chances he'll leave are infinitesimal, why haven't teams been clamoring for his attention like two offseasons ago? Simple. He got out ahead of it this time.
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From The Athletic:
Is this as foregone a conclusion as the rest of the league seems to believe it to be?
“I'm not even thinking about that,” Durant said. “I'm here. I'm here. I ain't even thought about it.”
To make it simpler: Is it 100 percent, in your mind, that you will be back with the Warriors next season?
“Yeah,” Durant said. “Yeah.”
In his last go-around of the free agency circus, Durant was heavily criticized for signing with the Warriors. He ultimately got the last laugh when he won his first championship and NBA Finals MVP, but re-signing with a team you're already on seems like a decision that would add a lot less scrutiny than going anywhere else, so it makes sense that Durant wants to avoid that.
It appears as though he's generally over the criticisms that forced him to create burner accounts to defend himself online. Durant was even able to joke about it to The Athletic:
What's unclear: The exact dollar amount and length of Durant's future contracts.
What's clear: The team he expects to be on.
“Well, actually,” Durant said, his sarcastic grin obvious, ready to lean into an Internet joke about him. “I want to wait to see who wins the championship and whoever wins that, that's who I'm going to sign with.”
Durant took a discount the last time he had an opportunity to commit to the Warriors, so it's likely he'll do it again.