In 2016 Kevin Durant will become a free agent, luckily for him that’s the same year the NBA’s new TV deal will kick in which will significantly raise the salary cap. There are already several teams in the hunt for Durant including the Washington Wizards and the New York Knicks but the Oklahoma City Thunder want desperately to keep their star. OKC has one up on the other teams, they can offer Durant the longest and richest contract, in fact the contract could be record breaking.
via Sports Illustrated:
Thunder officials understand there are no guarantees with Durant. They know they can offer the most money — several executives believe a max deal for Durant in the new TV revenue-infused market in 2016 could be worth in the neighborhood of $200 million over five years — and they believe Durant likes playing in Oklahoma City. “I think he likes his teammates,” said Brooks. “That’s always important.”
The record for richest contract in NBA history so far belongs to Kobe Bryant, for the deal before his current one — seven years, $136.4 million. Durant’s deal is still dependent on the new cap being around $100 million so $200 million for five years is a bit of a stretch. Also it is expected that LeBron James will command the highest salary under the new cap which is why he only signed a two-year deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers. And though OKC can offer Durant around $40 million more than any other team, Durant strikes me as someone who wants to win, so the team will have to significantly improve.
