Heading into the offseason, Kevin Durant's impending free agency will be the biggest storyline.
The 27-year-old small forward is in the thick of his prime and is considered to be the top free agent on the market. With the Oklahoma City Thunder once again coming up short of a championship, the question of whether or not Durant will re-sign in Oklahoma City has re-circulated.
Outside of the fact that almost a dozen teams will try to court Durant in free agency, another popular topic concerning the 2013-14 MVP is the theory of him likely signing a short-term deal.
According to one source, it's not set in stone that the 6'9″ forward will sign a short-term deal. Via Sean Deveney of Sporting News:
“He is not the kind of guy who wants to fiddle around in free agency and sort of play the system that way. That is not his personality. He likes stability and it is kind of a gamble to be taking a short contract and then trying to come back and do it all over again in a year. That’s the other thing. He is not someone who wants to go through this twice, I really don't think. It's no sure thing.”
Many people around the NBA believe Durant will either sign a one-year deal, or a deal which will allow him to opt out after the conclusion of the 2016-17 season. The reason being the salary cap will increase even more during the 2017 offseason, where Durant could sign a max contract that gives him $35 million annually. The other reason being that Russell Westbrook will also be a free agent in 2017. If his teammate leaves Oklahoma City, it wouldn't shock anyone if Durant were to leave with him.
Considering we're a month away from free agency, a lot of these reports are just speculation. It might be even safe to say that Durant doesn't even know what he'll do when July comes around.
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