Fansided

NBA Free Agency 2018: 20 best players available

By Micah Wimmer

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 22: Isaiah Thomas #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts before a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on March 22, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 22: Isaiah Thomas #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts before a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on March 22, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
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Finals MVP
OAKLAND, CA – JUNE 12: Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors high fives fans during the Golden State Warriors Victory Parade on June 12, 2018 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /

2. Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant, coming off his second consecutive championship in two years as a member of the Golden State Warriors is free to decline his player option and become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. It is expected that he will do the former, but pretty much immediately resign with the Warriors. The only major suspense is whether he will opt for a longer deal than his first two one and one deals with Golden State, and maximize his potential earnings in doing so. While Durant has already made over 160 million dollars in salary alone, he did nevertheless take a paycut with the Warriors on his last contract in order to help the team in their quest to resign Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala.

The Warriors cannot sign Durant to a five year contract as they do not possess his Bird Rights, but they can offer a four year contract and GM Bob Meyers has made it clear that he will give Durant “whatever he wants.”

Durant, entering his twelfth season in the fall remains one of the most lethal scorers in NBA history, a seven foot tall mass of limbs who can slither through seemingly any defensive scheme and effortlessly score over whatever defender is facing him. His ability to score has become even easier in Golden State due to the amount of attention Curry and Thompson draw from defenders, so that while Durant’s raw points per game numbers have decreased since he joined the Warriors, he has put up higher field goal percentages in his two years there than he ever did with the Thunder. His assumed re-signing with the Warriors should cast fear in the rest of the league and will again make Golden State the presumptive favorites to win the 2019 championship.

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