Kevin Durant is set to play for the fifth team in his career, and in his 18th season. Throughout his career, he has won a regular season MVP, Finals MVP, two championships, and an All-Star MVP. At the end of next season, he will cross the mark of $500 million in career earnings from salary alone. Yet, he might find himself in an unfamiliar position. For the first time since 2011, Kevin Durant might have to sign a contract that is less than the max.
Durant Could Be Forced Into a Role He Hasn’t Played Since 2011
When the Phoenix Suns traded KD to the Houston Rockets this summer, he had only one year left on his current contract. Since then, the two sides have been talking about a contract extension, yet nothing has materialized.
Now, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, Durant might have to face something he hasn’t since 2011. According to the ESPN analyst and reporter, KD is no longer viewed as the centerpiece of the team. Instead, the Rockets are building around their young core and consider Durant the final component. Yes, they lacked an offensive go-to guy in the playoffs last season. And there is no better guy than KD to do that.
But in the modern era of basketball, where teams have to be cautious about how they give out contracts, the Rockets are simply adjusting to the new cap rules. If Durant wants to stay in Houston for more than next season, he might have to sign a contract that is less than the maximum amount of money. He hasn’t done that since 2011, when his rookie maximum extension kicked in. KD signed that deal in 2010, but it came into effect for the 2011-12 season.
The Rockets Do Not Give Free Money
KD might also be facing an organization that doesn’t give free money to players. In the past several years, the Rockets have built a reputation as a team that actually negotiates contracts with its stars.
For example, last summer, they negotiated a contract that favored them with Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun. Neither was signed to a max contract, even though some might argue Sengun is a max player.
This summer, they negotiated very team-friendly contracts with Jabari Smith Jr. and Fred VanVleet. People around the league expect that they will try to do the same with KD. But will it work? Or he will look for a richer contract elsewhere?
Is Kevin Durant a Max Contract Player?
Durant is part of a generation that defined the NBA throughout the 2010s and 2020s alongside Steph Curry and LeBron James. Out of the three, only Curry has a max contract that runs for more than next season.
LeBron will be a free agent next summer, but it is hard to imagine getting another max contract. If Durant doesn’t extend with the Rockets, he can also become a free agent.
The challenge is that new rules prevent teams from giving out max salary to more than one or two players. Teams need to be cautious because otherwise, they will be stuck in the apron like the Phoenix Suns were last season. For his part, Durant is still delivering great numbers. Last season, he averaged 26.6 points on 52.7% shooting from the floor and 43% from three-point range. Not many players can do that in the NBA. But Durant will turn 37 years old before the season begins. He might have to accept the fact that he cannot earn maximum money anymore, at least not from a contending team.
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