However, Durant has said he plans to return to Golden State, and ownership has already committed to making a pact Durant approves of for next season and beyond.
In the euphoria of claiming another NBA title, Warriors general manager Bob Myers made inference to a blank check offer from the Warriors.
“Sometimes you don’t negotiate,” Myers said. “I’d love to have him for 10 years. Kevin Durant, look what he did for us last year, he did us a great service (taking less than a max offer). He’s earned the right to sign whatever deal he wants.
“I just want him to sign a deal. But want him to be happy and want him to know that we want him as long as he wants to be here. He’s earned that, to kind of lay out the terms. He can do whatever he wants. That shouldn’t be a long negotiation. Our goal, to be honest, is to try to keep the whole thing together, so that’s the pieces of the puzzle we’ve got to try to figure out.”
Last offseason, Durant took roughly $10 million less than what a max salary would have earned him on his deal with Golden State so the team could re-sign Andre Iguodala and backup point guard Shaun Livingston. By opting out, Durant could sign a four-year max contract for about $158 million. Durant was an All-Star for the Warriors yet again this season, averaging 26.4 points, 6.8 rebounds.