Kevin Durant is Willing to Take Less Money to Keep the Greatest Team in NBA History Intact

Talk about great news on the day of the NBA Finals! Kevin Durant is reportedly willing to take less money – he’s a free agent this summer – to keep the Golden State Warriors team together.

This is Durant’s way of saying it’s still Stephen Curry’s team, and win or lose in the Finals, he’s having fun. And Durant wants Golden State to keep Andre Iguodala, who becomes expendable when the team has to give max contracts to Curry and Durant.

Via ESPN:

"In order to sign Durant to the maximum possible extension this offseason, starting at an estimated $35.4 million per year, the Warriors would have to renounce their rights to Iguodala and Livingston to create room under the salary cap. The most they can pay Durant in 2017-18 without creating cap space is 120 percent of his 2016-17 salary, a little less than $32 million."

Tom Brady took less money to allow the Patriots to keep the best dynasty in NFL history going. Tim Duncan took less money in San Antonio to keep their dynasty going.

This is fantastic news for the Warriors, who have a collection of talent that could see them top LeBron’s mark of reaching the Finals seven years in a row (albeit with two teams) or match the 80s Lakers mark of getting to the Finals seven times in eight years.

I still don’t understand how people think this is bad for the NBA. Fans love dynasties. Jordan’s run through the 90s produced the six highest-rated Finals of all-time. You’ll get people who love the Warriors; you’ll now get people who hate and loathe Golden State. That’s what you want. You don’t want indifference.