Heading into the NBA offseason, there was plenty of concern that the Golden State Warriors may not have been able to bring back some of their core group of players in free agency.
However, Kevin Durant's decision to take about $10 million less than the max in his annual salary helped allow for the Warriors to re-sign many of their key players on new deals such as Andre Iguodala on a three-year, $48 million contract and Shaun Livingston to a three-year, $24 million deal.
During a recent interview with Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Durant stated he felt his teammates deserved to get paid given their contributions to the team over the last few years.
Well, I'm a smart guy and I want to keep this thing going and looking at Andre and Shaun (Livingston) and Steph (Curry) — they all should make the most money that they can make and get what they deserve. Because they were all underpaid and I knew at some point they'd want to get what they deserve. So I just took a step back and let the chips fall where they may. Then I took it in my hands. I wanted to keep the team together and I thought it was going to help the ownership bring all the guys back. And on top of that, it's my money. It's my decision. I can do what the hell I want with it.
It was a generous move by Durant that allowed for the Warriors to keep their group together for at least a few more seasons to compete for another NBA title or two. His willingness to take a pay cut also opened the door for the team to add a few other players to the mix such as Nick Young and Omri Casspi, who could both become valuable contributors off the bench.
More than anything else, this speaks to the strong bond and gratitude that Durant has built with his teammates in their first season together. This could go a long way into helping continue Golden State's run of dominance in the league by keeping their championship window open a few more years.
Follow Us
Subscribe