The Phoenix Suns will not be signing Kevin Durant to a one-year extension before Monday’s deadline to get it done, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Due to the “over-38 rule,” the Suns can only offer Durant this one-year extension this offseason. The over-38 rule means teams can’t offer four-year or longer contracts to players 38 years or older during the contract. With that said, Durant could get more money if he waits until next offseason to sign an extension.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks reported that: “Durant has been eligible to sign a one-year, $59.5 million extension since early July. The strong likelihood is Durant waiting until the 2025 offseason, when he would be eligible to sign a two-year, $123.8 million extension in Phoenix, sources told ESPN. By waiting, Durant would earn an extra $64.3 million.”
Charania echoed this reasoning in his report on Durant’s extension.
“I’m told there won’t be an extension there for Kevin Durant. He has two years left on his deal,” Charania said on ESPN’s NBA Today Friday. “He’s only eligible for a one-year, $60 million extension this offseason before Monday’s deadline. Whereas next summer, he’s gonna be eligible for a two year, upwards of a $120 million extension.
“That’s really where Durant’s and the Suns’ focus has been. They’ve both been focused on getting a deal done in the two year range, not that one-year extension. Kevin Durant has expressed publicly and privately how much he loves Phoenix. The Suns obviously want this iteration of the team to work, and they’re all in on this season, just like Kevin Durant is.”
.@ShamsCharania with the latest on Kevin Durant's contract extension status with the Phoenix Suns ???? pic.twitter.com/nFWqR57Ze9
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“I’m not even thinking about it,” Durant said (h/t The Arizona Republic‘s Duane Rankin). “I’m just going to play out my contract, really, and just focus on that, focus on the team. I haven’t really even had conversations with anybody about a contract, so just trying to focus on basketball.”
Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia and general manager James Jones said at media day last month that Durant loves Phoenix and they love having him here, but wouldn’t publicly discuss his contract.
It makes a lot of sense why the Suns would wait for Durant’s extension, and it appears that is exactly what they’re going to do.
Durant had 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in the Suns’ 128-122 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in their preseason finale yesterday. Phoenix opens the regular season on Oct. 23 on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Kevin Durant ‘trying to focus on basketball’ with contract extension deadline approaching
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
