Phoenix Suns superstar forward and 14-time All-Star Kevin Durant has decided not to sign a contract extension this offseason.
Durant will instead try his luck next summer, where he will have the opportunity to sign a longer extension.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Durant’s decision.
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“I was told there would be no extension for Kevin Durant,” Charania said.
“That’s really where (Durant) and the Suns were focused. They were both focused on getting a deal done over a two-year period, not this one-year extension. Kevin Durant expressed publicly and privately how much he loves Phoenix The Suns obviously want this iteration of this team to work and they are all in this season.
The deadline for Durant to sign the extension is Monday, representing a one-year contract worth $59.7 million. The deal would carry his contract through the 2026-27 season. As it stands, Durant is signed through the 2025-26 season.
The one-year extension Durant was entitled to was the most the Suns could have offered the 36-year-old due to the over-38 rule. The NBA’s over-38 rule closes a loophole that prevents teams from paying older free agents more than their cap or cap exceptions allow. It also limits the ability of players between the ages of 35 and 55 to sign long-term contracts.
This was formerly known as the over 36 rule.
Durant will begin his second full season with Phoenix after acquiring him at the 2023 trade deadline. The Suns traded for Durant and forward TJ Warren in a blockbuster trade with the Boorkln Netsb. In exchange, the Suns sent Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and Jae Crowder, four future unprotected first-round picks (2023, 2025, 2027, 2029) and a swap of 2028 first-round picks to the Nets.
Although Durant is older, he has shown no signs of slowing down. During his time in Phoenix, he averaged 27.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.2 blocks while shooting 52.7 percent from the field and from 42.4 percent from three in 83 total games.
Last season was one of Durant’s healthiest seasons in a long time; However, that wasn’t the case for the entire Suns team, especially its core. Many of their key players, like BradleyBeal, missed significant time, leading to their sixth-place finish last season.
All that is behind the Suns now. The goal is to get Durant another title in his illustrious career, and they think they have as good a chance as anyone. The Suns have the star power and role players to be one of the best teams in the league.
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