Kevin Durant re-signs with Golden State Warriors on 2-year, $53 million deal

Kevin Durant will re-sign with the Golden State Warriors, and his new contract is reportedly for two years for a total of $53 million.

Kevin Durant’s decision to jettison Oklahoma City has proved to be a wise one. The “if you can’t beat them, join them” mantra has paid off regardless of your thoughts.

Durant, the reigning 2017 NBA Finals MVP, has decided to re-sign with the Warriors for at least two more years. He will earn $53 million over the life of the deal.

Chris Haynes of ESPN was the first to report the news:

Haynes also added that the second year of the deal will be a player option. That gives Durant the ability to renegotiate his deal after next season again.

Durant, 28, will not make earn a max deal with the Warriors. Instead, he will take the Non-Bird Exception which allowed the Warriors to extend lucrative offers to keep Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston. Durant will only lose approximately $9 million, but more importantly he will help keep the band together. Zaza Pachulia, JaVale McGee and Ian Clark are still hanging out in free agency as the only key players Golden State hasn’t brought back yet.

The former Texas product flourished in his first season with Golden State. Durant averaged 25.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. He capped off his first year as a champion as will look to repeat after returning to the Warriors.

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Keeping the entire Warriors unit intact will be an expensive proposition for owner Joe Lacob. The Warriors are going to go deep into the luxury tax, but keeping this once and a lifetime team is worth paying the extra dollar. Durant’s new deal only adds to an expensive offseason as point guard Steph Curry was also recently made the highest-paid player in NBA history.