Golden State Warriors star forward Kevin Durant has declined a $31.5mn option for next season and will become an unrestricted NBA free agent, ESPN reported on Wednesday.
Durant, the 2017 and 2018 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player and 2014 NBA MVP, ruptured his right Achilles tendon in the second quarter of game five of the NBA Finals earlier this month and underwent surgery to repair the injury.
The 30-year-old forward is looking at missing the 2019-20 NBA season while rehabilitating and using the following campaign to rebuild to peak form, a prospect that could scare off some suitors who hoped for more instant returns from a big-money deal for one of the NBA’s biggest talents.
Durant averaged 26.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.1 blocked shots a game for the Warriors this season and boosted his production to 32.3 points and 7.7 rebounds a game in the playoffs until suffering a right calf injury and missing nine games before his brief NBA Finals comeback.
Durant is still expected to have several offers when NBA free agency opens on Sunday. While terms of deals can be completed early, NBA rules mandate no new contracts can be signed until July 6, leaving a week of various reports of agreements to terms but nothing teams can confirm until signings are complete.
Boston’s Kyrie Irving, Toronto’s Kawhi Leonard and Golden State guard Klay Thompson are expected to be among the other top free agents on offer when talks begin, although Thompson suffered a torn left knee ligament in game six of the NBA Finals and will also miss significant time next season.
The New York Knicks, among the leaders in money to spend under NBA salary cap rules, are expected to make a pitch for Durant, whose agent is in New York ready for offers.

Raptors’ Gasol 
exercises $25.6mn option
Center Marc Gasol will pass on free agency and return to the Toronto Raptors in 2019-20 after exercising his $25.6mn player option on Wednesday. Gasol could have been an unrestricted free agent when the new league year begins on Sunday, but he will instead play out the final season of a five-year, $113.2mn pact. The 34-year-old arrived in Toronto in February via trade from the Memphis Grizzlies, with whom he spent his first 10-plus NBA seasons. 
His numbers dipped in shortened minutes after joining the Raptors, but he helped the team to a lengthy playoff run capped by its first NBA championship in franchise history.
Gasol averaged 9.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 24.9 minutes per game across 26 games (19 starts) in the regular season with Toronto, down from 15.7-8.6-4.7 in 33.7 minutes per game in 53 starts with Memphis. In 11 NBA seasons, Gasol has career averages of 15 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists, earning three All-Star nods.

Seeking Butler, 
Rockets shopping Capela, Gordon 
Eyeing a sign-and-trade for Philadelphia 76ers All-Star Jimmy Butler, the Houston Rockets are shopping centre Clint Capela, guard Eric Gordon and forward PJ Tucker to cap-abundant teams. ESPN reported that the Rockets are shopping those players individually, seeking the best available first-round pick that they could then include in a deal for Butler. The Rockets would need to move two or all three players in order for the salaries to match a max contract for Butler, which would be $140mn over four years.