Kevin Durant may have a different path to the Knicks.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Warriors are floating the idea of signing the injured forward and then later look to trade him in a move that would potentially benefit both Durant and Golden State. The Warriors are the only team in the league that can sign him to a super-max deal.
“One of the things that is being discussed right now is that the Golden State Warriors would offer Kevin Durant a five-year contract, (worth) $57 million extra than he could get signing elsewhere, let him rehab and then work with him to be traded. Potentially to New York, potentially to somewhere else,” Windhorst said on ESPN’s “Get Up.”
“It would be their way to sort of take care of him monetarily after what he just went through and also protect the franchise and get some assets.”
That’s a win-win scenario, especially if Durant is planning on going elsewhere this summer, as has been heavily rumored. The team acquiring Durant would be giving up assets for a player who will miss all of next season with a ruptured Achilles. Even when Durant returns, at the age of 32, there’ll still be concerns about the player he would be coming off such a significant injury.
“For lack of a better term, it would be a delayed sign-and-trade,” Windhorst said. “It’s the only way Durant could get five years and play elsewhere. … The Warriors go into this as a bit of a last-ditch effort to not lose Kevin Durant for nothing. … (Durant) would be protected and get all of his money. Now, he’d have to trust the Warriors that they would actually work with you on a trade, but it’s something that has at least been discussed.”
It’s just another free-agency wrinkle to watch out for over the coming weeks.
