Could Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry Leave The Warriors? Free Agency Looms After 2017 NBA Finals

If circumstances were different, the Golden State Warriors would have more to worry about than just the Cleveland Cavaliers. While Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant play in the 2017 NBA Finals, they are just a few weeks away from entering free agency.

LeBron James sent shockwaves throughout the league when he left the Miami Heat after losing the 2014 NBA Finals and re-signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Durant altered the future of the NBA last year when he left the Oklahoma City Thunder for Golden State, the team that had eliminated him from the Western Conference Finals just a month earlier.

READ: Ranking The 10 Best Players In The 2017 NBA Finals

The same kind of talk that surrounded James three years ago and Durant in 2016, however, isn’t following the Warriors’ two best players. Despite the freedom for Curry and Durant to sign elsewhere, it would be stunning to see either All-Star leave the Bay Area.

For Curry, free agency is unavoidable. He’s in the final year of his contract, which paid him $44 million over four seasons. Winning two MVPs and cementing his spot as the greatest shooter in NBA history, Curry was the league’s biggest bargain. The point guard will finally make what he’s worth this offseason, and it’s going to be the Warriors that pay him.

“I can’t,” Curry told The Mercury News’ Tim Kawakami when asked in January if he could fathom leaving the Warriors this summer. “Like I’ve said from Day 1 when I was first asked about free agency, this is a perfect place to play. Bay Area fans are amazing, our organization’s amazing, we’ve put together an amazing team that’s competing for championships every year.

“There’s really no reason that I can see right now that would draw me elsewhere.”

Curry isn’t lying when he says there’s no reason for him to sign with another team. Whether he’s motivated by money, championships or both, Golden State is the only destination that makes sense for the 29-year-old.

Because Curry qualifies as a “designated veteran player,” per the requirements of the new collective bargaining agreement signed in December, he can sign a five-year contract worth about $209 million with Golden State. No other team is allowed to offer Curry more than a four-year deal worth about $133 million.

The Warriors have dominated the Western Conference with three straight trips to the finals. Even if the team gets upset by the Cavaliers again, Curry will try to extend that streak to four with Golden State.

“And we’ll see what happens. But that’s kind of a great position to be in and one that allows me to just focus on just playing good basketball this year and winning a championship and letting the rest of that handle itself.”

Unlike Curry, Durant has one year left on his deal. He’s set to make $27.73 million in the 2017-2018 season, though a clause in his deal allows him to opt out and become a free agent. With the ability to make significantly more money on a new deal next year because of the rising salary cap, it’s hard to believe that Durant won’t enter free agency.

But that doesn’t mean he’s going to another team. Playing on the best team of his career and on the verge of winning his first ring, Durant is expected to re-up with Golden State this summer without much fanfare.

“Yeah. I love it here,” Durant told ESPN’s The Undefeated during the Western Conference Finals when asked if he’d return to the Warriors next year. “I love my teammates. I love the city [of Oakland, California]. I love the organization. I love it here. I don’t plan on going anywhere else.”

Durant can sign a max contract worth up to $35.4 million this offseason, but it might not even take that much to keep the forward from playing for his third team in as many seasons. ESPN has reported that Durant is willing to sign for less than $32 million per season in order for the team to potentially keep both Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston.

Despite the negative reaction that he received for joining the team he couldn’t beat in the playoffs, Durant says he doesn’t regret signing with Golden State. It’s hard not to believe him when he’s playing arguably the best basketball of his career and on the verge of winning the first of possibly multiple titles.

“I made the 100 percent correct decision, win or lose,” Durant said. “I feel like this is the place I was supposed to be. I appreciate everything I’ve done before this. But I’m here now, and I feel like it’s a great spot for me to be.

“This is where I am supposed to be at this point of my life. I’m taking it on and conquering every part of it. I’m enjoying every single step.”

Nothing is set in stone, and things can change quickly in the NBA. When the Thunder had a 3-1 series lead over the Warriors, the idea of Durant leaving Oklahoma City for Golden State appeared to be a long shot. A year later, the notion that Durant won’t be playing for the Warriors seems hard to believe.

The Warriors have won more games in the last three years than any team during such a stretch in NBA history. With Durant and Curry on the verge of making a long-term commitment, Golden State might just be getting started.