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The Warriors would probably like to use all their available firepower in trying to re-sign Kevin Durant. Durant is expected to be sidelined for the full duration of the 2019-20 season with a torn right Achilles, but the injury has discernibly had little impact on the offers Durant will officially receive once the NBA’s free agency period swings open on at 6 p.m. ET on June 30.
Durant, who underwent surgery on his Achilles in New York, will host his free agent meetings in New York along with his business manager Rich Kleiman. Durant has reportedly been in contact with Kawhi Leonard about potentially teaming up to play for either the New York Knicks (the favorite to sign Durant from the outset of the season) or the Los Angeles Clippers (the favorite to sign Leonard from the outset of the season).
According to The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson, Stephen Curry, who is scheduled to be in Shanghai, China, on the 2019 Under Armour Basketball Asia Tour through June 29, will join Warriors president of basketball operations Bob Myers in a meeting with Durant in New York on his way back from China on Saturday night, before the free agency window opens.
From @TheAthleticNBA's @ThompsonScribe: Warriors' Stephen Curry is planning to join GM Bob Myers in visit to Kevin Durant in New York. https://t.co/A2kJTOkNX7
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2019
The Warriors have the upper hand monetarily in terms of re-signing Durant, with the ability to offer him a five-year, $221 million supermax offer, whereas any other potential suitor can offer a maximum of four years, $164.6 million. The team is already near-certain to re-sign Klay Thompson, as it was reported on Saturday that Thompson will receive and accept a full, five-year, $190 million max offer from the team.
UPDATE: Klay Thompson will also join the meeting, via FaceTime, according to Marcus Thompson, who stated that Draymond Green visited Durant earlier this offseason, after Green denied those claims earlier in the offseason, saying he was at JFK airport to visit friends for a wedding in the Hamptons.
Update: Klay Thompson will be there, too, via FaceTime #HalfTheHamptons https://t.co/WYbcdgUzjK
— Marcus Thompson (@ThompsonScribe) June 29, 2019