Thunder Get $15M Of Durant's Salary Paid For By Other 29 Teams

[RealGM Wiretap]

The NBA Board of Governors voted to award the Oklahoma City Thunder approximately $15 million due to an issue with Kevin Durant's super-max contract, according to reporting by Zach Lowe of ESPN.

Durant signed a maximim extension with the Thunder in 2010 that went into effect for the 11-12 season, but in the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement, he would be eligible for a super-max as a two-time All-NBA honoree. The NBA approved the boost in December of 2011 and an additional $15 million over five years.

The Thunder signed the deal not anticipating paying Durant 30 percent of the cap.

Teams can only designate one player for the five-year extension, but were able to do so with both Durant and Russell Westbrook because of the loophole.

Via Tom Ziller/SB Nation

[Sam195]

This is stupid, why do the other teams have to foot the bill for okc's carelessness. Presti should foreshadowed that the new cba would change the value of durant's contract either by increasing/decreasing the full value. Therefore Presti should have negotiated a five year 80 million deal as oppose to a five year max. Any educated nba exec would have known that. This is presti second biggest flop as a gm first the loopsided harden deal and now this. I'm sure the 15 million in cap space over the life of durant's contract would have been enough to resign kevin martin. This doesn't really affect the harden situation because he was seeking the max deal. martin wanted 7 million a season which the timberwolves gave him opposed to the okc offer at the midlevel which was 8 million less in total.

[DontHateMiami]

If the HEAT couldn't get an exception for Miller...this is total bull.

[IMAN5]

wait wat...

[Valanciunuts]

NBA at it's best.

[shrink]

So OKC gets the luxury of being able to give two superstars the super-max deal AND the NBA is going to subsidize part of the cost?

Hard to hear as a MIN fan. MIN may lose Love because Kahn was trying to save their one 5-year deal for Rubio.

[The_Hater]

This is stupid, why do the other teams have to foot the bill for okc's carelessness. Presti should foreshadowed that the new cba would change the value of durant's contract either by increasing/decreasing the full value. Therefore Presti should have negotiated a five year 80 million deal as oppose to a five year max. Any educated nba exec would have known that.

I'm not sure I understand your logic here? Even if Presti had known exactly what changes would be made to the CBA back in 2010 (which would have been near impossible since it took months of back and forth negotiations to finalize) Durant still couldn't be signed a contract based on a CBA agreement that had yet to come to fruition. Thus in 2010 Presti could only offer Durant a contract extension based on the old CBA rules.

As it is, the board already agreed to give Durant the extra $15 million back in 2011 after the new CBA agreement was ratified, the only issue decided here is who pays the difference between the old and new CBA agreements. The decision made today didn't change OKC's cap situation or their ability to re-sign KMart or any other free-agents this summer.

[RipCity2013]

NO!

[grumpysaddle]

This just seems dumb. Why should other teams have to foot the bill for a player that isn't on their team? Durant should have to play for all 30 teams, then.

[alienpick]

This just seems dumb. Why should other teams have to foot the bill for a player that isn't on their team? Durant should have to play for all 30 teams, then.

That would be funny, he would suit up for one game for each team during the season (the rest would be OKC) Would be interesting to watch.

[inquisitive]

at least okc can feel better that the rockets had to pay them back something after morey's robbery of harden..

[nyk4L7_21]

Coming from a Knicks fan this is just incredible. We've already got one player who rarely plays for us on our payroll, this is exactly what we need.

Seriously, how much more can the league coddle this guy. Not only does he go to the FT line every time he touches the ball, but now we've got to pay his salary too?! I can't think of one good reason why OKC can't foot the bill themselves, and don't give me that small market disadvantage crap, these owners are multi millionaires.

[youblewwit]

Everybody is complaining about their team having to foot the bill for OKC, but the NBA Board of Governors (made up of the team owners), voted to give OKC the money.

[shawnrooker]

abc

[coolbyme]

what's loopsided about it?

[NYKNICKPLAYA]

This is stupid, why do the other teams have to foot the bill for okc's carelessness. Presti should foreshadowed that the new cba would change the value of durant's contract either by increasing/decreasing the full value. Therefore Presti should have negotiated a five year 80 million deal as oppose to a five year max. Any educated nba exec would have known that. This is presti second biggest flop as a gm first the loopsided harden deal and now this. I'm sure the 15 million in cap space over the life of durant's contract would have been enough to resign kevin martin. This doesn't really affect the harden situation because he was seeking the max deal. martin wanted 7 million a season which the timberwolves gave him opposed to the okc offer at the midlevel which was 8 million less in total.

THIS IS JUST ALL RIDICOLOUS. NBA Ugh. -knicks fan

[AMG]

It's half a million per team and this is a small price to pay for the large win the owners got in the CBA. That's why they agreed to pay it. And the Kevin Durant's of this league make all the owners money. This is really just a tiny step towards paying the top players closer to their value.

[the_process]

Who does Clay Bennett have pics of?!? How did this charlatan get a free 15 mill? Next thing I know OKC will be able to go over the lux without paying any tax.

[jona187]

If the HEAT couldn't get an exception for Miller...this is total bull.

THIS IS THE TRUTH RIGHT HERE

[TaiLs21]

Just proving the NBA is rigged against the Miami Heat.