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SPORTS Thursday 27 June 2019

Analysis: For Durant and Leonard, the move is to stay put

By TIM REYNOLDS possibly about to land Kyrie
AP Basketball Writer Irving in free agency, it’s
Toronto’s Kawhi Leonard fairly clear that the Raptors
and Golden State’s Kevin and Warriors — this past
Durant are both very dif- season’s NBA finalists — will
ficult to figure out. They go into next season with
seem to enjoy giving cryp- the most realistic champi-
tic answers, a minimum onship aspirations.
of clues, and clearly relish The Warriors won’t have
having enigmatic status. Durant because of his
It makes free agency tough Achilles injury. They will still
to forecast. have Stephen Curry and,
Luckily for Toronto and probably, Klay Thompson
Golden State, the math — provided he re-signs, as
should be very simple. is expected. They will still
Leonard and Durant are have Steve Kerr calling the
the biggest dominoes that shots. They will have deep-
will fall sometime after the pocketed, free-spending
free-agent window opens owners who won’t want
Sunday evening — unless, the team’s first season in
of course, neither ends up the new Chase Center to
falling elsewhere and de- be, by Warriors’ standards,
cide to stay put for now. a step backwards after five
And that is what the math consecutive NBA Finals ap-
says both of them would be pearances.
wisest to do. The Raptors have a chance
Durant will be offered a to go back-to-back and
$221 million, five-year con- even though the Eastern
tract from Golden State. Conference is deeper now
That’s one year and $57 than it has been in recent
million more than any other years — Milwaukee won
team can offer. Provided In this Monday, June 10, 2019 file photo, Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) walks off 60 games this past season,
that he won’t be playing the court after sustaining an injury as he is accompanied by Toronto Raptors center Serge Ibaka Philadelphia should be
next year anyway because (9) and Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (9) and guard Kyle Lowry (7) during first-half basketball strong again, Boston and
of his ruptured Achilles and action in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto. Indiana have some work
that there’s no guarantee Associated Press to do but could find them-
that the after-surgery ver- years, and the reality is that for all he will have coming just as much off the court. selves right back in the mix
sion of Durant will remain Leonard probably wants two years from now. They’re both set for life, so — there’s an argument to
in the best-player-on-the- something in between. In “He’s a confident human money won’t be the sole be made that Leonard’s
planet conversation, it the summer of 2021, after being,” Raptors President driving force in their respec- best path to a third title ring
would be less than prudent Leonard completes his 10th Masai Ujiri said. “He’s an un- tive decisions. would lead him to stay in
to leave that much money year in the league, he goes believable person. He is his The basketball stuff still mat- Toronto.
on the table. from being able to com- own person. ... I think we’ve ters. No matter how much For Durant and Leonard,
“He’s been everything to mand 30% of a salary cap built a trust there.” Durant and Leonard have all the talk about New York
us,” Warriors general man- to 35% of a salary cap. Of course, all that is the in the bank, they cannot and Brooklyn and Los An-
ager Bob Myers said earlier That 5% is going to be a lot money aspect of things. buy championship rings. geles should be just that —
this month. of money. That’s why, for Leonard has already pock- This is where the ambiguity talk.
With Leonard, it’s all a bit Leonard, the smarter play eted about $85 million in starts to kick in, although The simplest, and right,
more complex. in terms of finances is to sign on-court earnings and the there shouldn’t be much. move for both is this: Run it
The NBA champion Raptors a shorter deal this summer big money is really going to Even with the Los Angeles back. Stay put. Be the dom-
could offer him anything — two years, $68 million or start rolling in now. Durant Lakers about to get Antho- inoes that don’t fall, and let
from $32 million for one so, maybe with a third year is up to around $190 million ny Davis in a trade, even the rest of the league react
year to $190 million for five at his option — and cash in on the court, with probably with the Brooklyn Nets quite to that.q