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On the eve of June 1, Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder could feasibly be in their final month together. The seven-time All-Star forward is the gem in NBA free agency and can look beyond Oklahoma City when the market opens July 1. Durant, 27, is from Washington, D.C., and has been rumored to be interested in going home and all points between at various points of the season which ended for the Thunder on Memorial Day night in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals.
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"I mean, we just lost like 30 minutes ago, so I haven't even thought about it," Durant said Monday night. "I'm just embracing my teammates and just reflecting on the season. I'll think about that stuff, I don't know when. But we just lost an hour ago, 30 minutes ago, so I don't know."
Golden State and San Antonio, two Thunder rivals and powerhouses in the conference, are likely to be suitors. They can offer a maximum contract worth $25.9 million, or a max deal worth $111 million over four years.
The Thunder can offer $149 million over five years.
Two years ago, the max offer was the difference between Carmelo Anthony leaving the New York Knicks for other teams offering lesser deals such as the Chicago Bulls.
The long-term maximum is not the only road for Durant and the Thunder.
LeBron James was in the same free agent class two years ago with Anthony and resisted the personal bond with Dwyane Wade and bolted the Miami Heat for a return to his home state and first NBA team on a short-term deal. On a one-year deal with a rolling option, James is in control of his own future every summer.
That could entice Durant, who might be willing to sign a one-year deal for 2016-17 for $26 million. His projected five-year deal starting in 2017 could be worth $227.9 million under the terms of a new collective bargaining agreement.
Durant vowed not to let the emotional letdown of losing to the Warriors even after grabbing a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series guide his path in July.
"We're all upset. We wanted to get a chance to play for a championship in the Finals, so that hurts," he said Monday. "But when you sit down and look back at what happened throughout the season, you can be proud of not just the players, but everybody in the organization, from the top to the bottom, people that you guys don't know or ever see contribute to what we bring out on the court. That's just pride, effort, passion, love for the game. Pure love for the game every single night, and that comes from just walking into our practice facility every single day and feeling those vibes and feeling that energy from everyone. I'm just proud of what we've all been through this season. We stuck together and we sacrificed for each other. That's just what makes this game so special."
Point guard Russell Westbrook has two years left on his current deal. They were the only teammates to finish in the top five of 2016 NBA MVP voting.
