With the Oklahoma City Thunder up 3-1 against the seemingly unbeatable Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals, Kevin Durant's looming free agency seemed like a distant concern, nothing more than a formality to deal with this offseason after a championship banner had been raised. But now, with the Thunder squandering their series lead in an almost unprecedented fashion, Durant's free agency is suddenly an alarming Titanic-sized iceberg fast approaching.
While OKC may be turning its attention to the future, Durant said he has not yet begun to think about free agency.
"I mean, we just lost like 30 minutes ago, so I haven't even thought about it," Durant said during his news conference following OKC's 96-88 loss to the Warriors Monday night. "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."
Durant, 27, is a seven-time All-Star and one-time MVP. He has spent his entire nine-year career with the same organization but will become one of the most sought-after free agents in NBA history once he hits the open market this summer.
With the league's salary cap set to spike to around $92 million, more than half of the league's teams will be able to offer Durant a max deal starting around $25.9 million per season. The Warriors and San Antonio Spurs are both thought to be among his potential suitors.
If Durant intends to return to OKC, he could sign a five-year deal worth around $149 million. If he chooses to leave, he can sign a four-year deal worth around $111 million.
One possibility that has been mentioned is that Durant signs a one- or two-year deal with a player option for the second. This would allow him to re-enter free agency after another cap rise and give Durant another year of experience, making him eligible for the highest level of a max contract in the summer of 2017.
That would enable him to sign for roughly $228 million over the next six seasons if he stays in Oklahoma City or $176 million over five years if he leaves the Thunder.
However, Durant isn't seeing dollar signs at the moment. He's still absorbing the loss.
"There's no moral victories in the locker room after the game," Durant said. "We're all upset. We wanted to get a chance to play for a championship in the Finals, so that hurts.
"But 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."
