Durant to stay?

Report says forward is open to taking less money.

News surfaced Thursday morning that would only buoy the Warriors’ chances of returning to the NBA Finals in coming years: Kevin Durant is open to taking less than a maximum contract extension to help Golden State keep its core together, according to an ESPN report.

If Durant signs the maximum extension for which he is eligible this summer — which starts at roughly $35.4 million per year — the Warriors would need to renounce their rights to second-unit leaders Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston to free up room under the salary cap. But league sources told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Chris Haynes that Durant is willing to sign for a little less than $32 million, the most he can make in 2017-18 without Golden State needing to create cap space.

That would allow Stephen Curry, one of the league’s most underpaid superstars at around $11 million per year, to sign a “supermax” contract starting at $35.4 million per season and worth roughly $205 million over the next five years.

Per ESPN, Durant will probably sign another two-year deal with a player option in the second year to make himself eligible for another one-plusone contract in 2018 starting at roughly $35.7 million. He could sign a five-year, supermax deal at an estimated $217 million starting in 2019-20.

By waiting to sign his longterm extension and taking almost $4 million less than his maximum next year, Durant would enable the Warriors to potentially use their Bird rights to re-sign Iguodala and Livingston, among others, for deals that more closely align with their free-agent value.

This will be an important offseason for Golden State. In addition to Durant, Curry, Iguodala and Livingston, the list of Warriors free agents-tobe includes JaVale McGee, Ian Clark, James Michael McAdoo, Matt Barnes, Zaza Pachulia and David West.