What's next for Kevin Durant after an epic Thunder collapse?
Was Game 7 Kevin Durant's final game in a Thunder jersey?
It's certainly conceivable. We can't say for sure what Durant's thinking after Oklahoma City's epic Western Conference finals collapse. Perhaps that gut-wrenching swing was the last straw in the end of this team's up-and-down run. But with everything we know about the NBA landscape and about Durant, all indications are that he'll be back with the Thunder next season.
After that? Anything is possible.
Durant has three realistic options this summer. He can sign a long-term deal with Oklahoma City. He can sign a one-year contract with the Thunder. Or he can take his talents elsewhere.
Thunder fans would love for Durant to take the long-term deal, of course, but it doesn't really make sense for Durant. As many NBA observers have pointed out this season, Durant can make the most money by returning to Oklahoma City for one more year, then re-entering the free agency pool in the summer of 2017 when the salary cap increases once again.
Why does that matter? For Durant, there are two major considerations. First, max contracts in the NBA are defined as a percentage of the cap for the year in which the deal was signed. Second, Durant is one year away from 10 seasons of NBA experience. For players with fewer than 10 years in the league, the max salary is 30 percent of the cap. For those with 10 or more years in the league, the max salary is 35 percent of the cap. By waiting one more year to sign a long-term deal, Durant could lock in a salary of almost $37.5 million in 2017-18, vs. approximately $29 million in that same season if he signed a multi-year contract this summer (based on salary cap projections for coming seasons).
That's the practical side of things, which will likely play the biggest part in Durant's decision. But there's an emotional piece of the equation as well -- and that too points toward Durant coming back for one more year.
KD seems like a loyal guy who's built a basketball family in Oklahoma City. For him to abandon his Thunder teammates after coming so close to reaching the Finals once more would be a complete heel turn from Durant. Unless there's some simmering tension between the Thunder's two biggest superstars, Durant owes it to himself, Westbrook and the rest of the OKC crew to come back for one more try at a ring. And it sounds like he knows it.
“Our goal is to win a championship, but we didn’t do it,” said Durant, who was limited to 27 games during the 2014-15 season due to injury. “I wouldn’t say it’s a total failure and it all sucked. We wanted to win a championship and the goal going in was to win a title. That’s the worst part. But when you look at it, we have a new coach and we learned a lot from him. We’re basically a new team.
“I didn’t play with these guys last season. So coming in and playing with a new group of guys, I thought we did a great job. There were a lot of expectations on us. A lot of people might not think that. Internally, I thought we peaked at the right time and got better at the right time. We just kept growing. All our players got confidence throughout the season. I hate to lose in the conference finals. But we got better.”
Regardless of their collapse in these Western Conference finals, the Thunder demonstrated that they might be the best team in the league. Having two superstars will lift you to that level. Durant's best chance at a ring next season, then, is to stay in Oklahoma City. What are his other options? He could sign with the San Antonio Spurs, but is trading Westbrook and Ibaka for LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard really that significant of an upgrade -- one worth the growing pains of learning a new system and developing chemistry with new teammates?
What about the Golden State Warriors? Beyond the fact that Durant-to-Golden-State is the ultimate pipe dream, the Warriors would have to completely revamp their roster to make room for Durant. Without their depth and versatility, is that team a better chance for KD to get a ring than leading the Thunder back into battle next season?
Any other destination would be a change of scenery simply for the sake of making a move -- an irrational reaction to a painful loss that wouldn't gain Durant a thing.
There's no guarantee that the Thunder will succeed next year, of course. But that's the beauty of the one year deal. It would line Durant's next free agency up with the end of Westbrook and Ibaka's contracts. At that point, if they decide things aren't working and they need to go elsewhere, so be it. There's no shame in giving it everything you have and coming up short.
To break up this Thunder team after they came so far, though? That would be a pity.
