With the talk of the basketball world centered around the announcements that Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh will be joining forces in Miami and LeBron James scheduling to proclaim his intentions on a one-hour ESPN special; for obvious reasons, not much mention has been made of another NBA superstar coming to a conclusion of his own.
According to ESPN.com and his Twitter page, Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder have agreed on a contract extension that will pay the University of Texas product $86 million over five years and should keep Durant in a Thunder uniform through the 2015-16 season.
In only his third season in the league, Durant elevated his game to a superstar level this past season by leading the league in scoring, averaging 30.1 points per game, while being primarily responsible for Oklahoma City earning its first playoff berth in franchise history.
This is a refreshing move by Durant, the second overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, because not only will it circumvent a media frenzy surrounding his impending free agency, but it displays a commitment by Durant to remain the cornerstone of what has brilliantly been built by the Thunder organization.
Oklahoma City has a talented, young core of players, including Durant, Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green, a head coach in Scott Brooks whose system the roster has bought into and a front office that has made prudent salary cap moves over the past couple of years to keep the team in a position to improve upon the foundation that is already in place.
"Kevin wanted to make this commitment to the Thunder because he and his family are very appreciative of the commitment that the Thunder have made to him," Aaron Goodwin, Durant’s agent, said of the five-year arrangement.
Bravo to Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder for making one of the biggest and quietest moves in this 2010 NBA off-season.
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Kevin Durant Signs 5-year, $86 million Extension With Oklahoma City Thunder
