Kevin Durant took a pay cut to re-sign with the Houston Rockets, and for good reason.
After months of speculation, Kevin Durant has signed a $90 million extension with the Houston Rockets, solidifying his future with the organization.
When Durant was traded to the Rockets in late June, there was some concern about his future as his contract was set to expire in 2026.
The Rockets will not give Durant a contract extension worth up to $120 million. He’s in his late 30s and that’s a lot of money to dedicate to him in a very short amount of time.
But there’s another, more important reason behind why the Rockets convinced Durant to take a pay cut and re-sign.
One of the biggest reasons the Houston Rockets asked Kevin Durant to take a pay cut is that a new CBA could move them dangerously close to the second apron.
The Rockets didn’t just want to extend Durant’s contract this summer. In fact, the Rockets wanted to re-sign Tali Eason, who is eligible for a contract extension and is in the final year of his rookie contract.
The Rockets could re-sign Eason for a promising amount after Durant accepted a significant pay cut to help the team.
Durant could have instead taken a $22 million pay cut and made the most of his situation, so this is a really good sign for the team.
Instead, he showed his dedication to the team by doing everything he could to keep the Rockets on the roster long-term.
By signing a $90 million extension with the Rockets, Durant made history and firmly established the record for highest career salary earned by an NBA player.
After this deal, Durant will earn $598.2 million over the course of his NBA career. That’s about $15 million more than LeBron James’ previous lifetime earnings of $583.9 million.
Durant became an extremely wealthy man thanks to his incredible talent and desire to win. For a boy who grew up impoverished in Washington, D.C., this is an incredible culmination of his journey.
But that journey won’t be complete until Durant can help lead the Rockets to an NBA championship, something this deal should help him do.