Durant, George realize value of staying in place
The NBA’s free-agent bonanza, which hit a crescendo when LeBron James joined the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, started late Saturday night when Kevin Durant and Paul George decided to stay put.
Durant signed a two-year, $61.5 million deal to remain with the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors, one where he’ll make $30.5 million this season. The terms were confirmed by a person familiar with the situation who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal cannot become official until the league’s offseason moratorium ends this week.
The deal comes with a player option for 2019-20, so Durant can — and likely will — become a free agent again next summer.
George told a party in Oklahoma City that he’s staying with the Thunder, after agreeing to terms on what is a $137 million, four-year deal that comes with an option for the final season.
Durant’s move means the Warriors not only got to keep the 2017 and 2018 NBA Finals MVP, but they also get some financial flexibility in the deal since he could have gotten more money had the deal been structured differently.
For the Thunder, the win was that their risk paid off. Trading for George a year ago was panned by some critics, presumably because of the belief that he was focused on joining his hometown Los Angeles Lakers in free agency. That move isn’t happening. Not now, anyway, and barring a trade not for at least three years in what will be considered a massive victory for the Thunder and general manager Sam Presti.
“I’m here to stay,” George told the crowd at the party.
In other early moves in the NBA’s annual free-agent frenzy:
Rudy Gay is returning to the San Antonio Spurs.
Gay agreed to a one-year, $10 million deal to be back in San Antonio after averaging 11.5 points for the Spurs last season.
Guard Marco Belinelli, who finished last season in Philadelphia, agreed to sign a two-year, $12 million deal to return to San Antonio. He played three seasons with the Spurs (2013-16).
The Dallas Mavericks finally are getting DeAndre Jordan.
Jordan agreed to sign with Dallas three years ago, then changed his mind and social media went beyond abuzz over what happened next. But he agreed quickly this time to a oneyear, $24.1 million deal and will finally be part of the Mavs.
Denver kept two of its key pieces in place as talented big man Nikola Jokic will stay put on a five-year deal worth nearly $150 million and guard Will Barton committed to a four-year deal that could be worth more than $50 million if he doesn’t opt out a year early.
Jokic, 23, averaged 18.5 points, 10.7 rebounds and 6.1 assists last season. Barton averaged a career-high 15.7 points per game for Denver last season.
Aaron Gordon is staying in Orlando for big money.
Gordon agreed Sunday night to a four-year, $82 million deal to remain with the Magic. The 6-9 forward averaged a career-best 17.6 points per game last season for Orlando
The Toronto Raptors aren’t letting guard Fred VanVleet get away.
A person with knowledge of the contract says the club has reached an agreement with VanVleet on a two-year, $18 million deal. In his second season with Toronto, VanVleet, a restricted free agent, averaged 8.6 points and was a valuable backup to Kyle Lowry.
Aron Baynes, who started 67 games last season with Boston, is staying with the Celtics.
Baynes, who averaged six points and 5.4 rebounds last season, has agreed to a two-year deal worth $11 million. The second year is at Baynes’ option, meaning he could be a free agent next summer.