Kevin Durant leaves money on the table with Rockets extension

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00:00He's getting paid like he's one of the better players in the league, which he is.

00:03And he's leaving money on the table.

00:05He is.

00:05We had a reporter this weekend that Rafael Stone did it again.

00:10We are in the air.

00:12Big time players, superstars in the league,

00:15willing to take less money to be in the system that the Houston Rockets have created.

00:19Kevin Durant signs a two-year, was it $90 million deal extension.

00:26So he will not just be here through the end of the season.

00:28He'll be here through the next couple of seasons, the next three, I guess,

00:32if you consider this one as well with those two years tacked on as well.

00:36He was eligible for a $120 million extension, max extension, which would have been $60 a year.

00:42He ultimately takes $30 fewer million on this two-year contract

00:46in order to help kind of mitigate some things you were headed into this year

00:50or what you would have had on the back end of this year was $1.5 million,

00:55I think somewhere around there, under the first apron.

00:57You'll now be above the first apron, but you still have room to navigate.

01:01And the prevailing thought is that should give you just enough room

01:05to sign Tari Eason to his rookie extension.

01:08The deadline for that deal, 5 p.m. today.

01:10Yeah, you'll be hearing that real soon.

01:13You think so?

01:14You're certain that that?

01:14I think you will.

01:15There's been reporting.

01:16I think David Aldridge of The Athletic reported as such.

01:19But are you in on the idea of Tari Eason extension?

01:22Well, I think you have to at this point, despite the injuries, just because of how good he can be for you.

01:27But the other thing is, clearly this was something that was discussed well before Durant even came over here.

01:34I mean, so this is part of the plan.

01:36And, you know, kudos to Durant for doing that, for having this discussion, for understanding this isn't just a, you know what, end of my career.

01:48I'm just going to cash out.

01:49He's got more money than he can go out.

01:52I'll make a salary before any endorsements or anything else.

01:56$598 million in his career.

01:58Is that good?

01:59Is that a lot of money?

02:00He's going to make $600 million.

02:01Thank you for your support, Colin.

02:02More money than any player in NBA history, including LeBron.

02:05For now.

02:06For now.

02:07But still.

02:08This thing continues to grow.

02:09You didn't answer the question, John.

02:10Yeah, that is true.

02:11It's a lot of money.

02:12We were waiting.

02:13$600 million in salary.

02:17So he didn't need the money, but it's also a testament to him as a hooper.

02:22You know, he understands how the game is played and how the game for his next two years here,

02:26you know, however long it's going to be, is going to help him.

02:29And not to continue pocket watching, however, he also don't spend his money all that crazy.

02:34It seems like he is a very muted type of dude, although I don't know where he places all

02:38his money.

02:39I imagine that he's going to be living good for a very long time.

02:42And the thing that I love is it's a commitment, as you mentioned, that had already kind of

02:46been established.

02:47In fact, media day.

02:48I believe both Raphael.

02:49He said it.

02:50Raphael Stone was kind of like playing coy and Katie was like, yeah, I plan on being extended.

02:54Yeah.

02:54So that was if he's in that place, you figured it would get done.

02:57But it makes sense.

02:59Like, he seems to be the type of dude that would love Houston, right?

03:01Like, Houston is a very particular place.

03:03I saw it this weekend described as the biggest town in the biggest town, like small town in

03:08the country, which I guess you could view it that way.

03:10Like, there's some small town charm to Houston, even though it's clearly a big city.

03:15He's not the dude that seems like he needs the big city.

03:18Like, he seems like he very much likes the particular charm of Houston.

03:21So it makes sense that you want to stay here.

03:22But maybe the bigger point that I heard the fellows of the drive, not the drive, the fellows

03:26of Payne and Pendergast making earlier today, which is look at how quickly.

03:33There were someone like Kevin Durant absolutely would make this decision to sign an extension

03:37before setting foot on the court, and it makes 100% leaving $30 million on the table, and

03:43it makes 100% sense.

03:44Four years ago.

03:45If you tell somebody who is a Rockets fan, this is where you'll be in four years, would

03:51have been hard to believe, would have been hard to accept.

03:53Well, there was no rebuild, you know, per se.

03:55They just completely retooled and kind of went in different directions and got it done.

04:01No, this is fantastic for the Rockets.

04:04I mean, you can't ask for better because you're going to get your guys taken care of.

04:08They're not going to be griping.

04:10He's going to get an opportunity to play with, you know, at a very high level with a contending

04:14team.

04:14This is terrific for the Rockets.

04:16Yeah, I'm excited for it.

04:17I'm very, very excited for it.

04:19It feels like they have now, there's an urgency, but there's not a rush, if you understand the

04:24distinction I'm trying to make there, right?

04:25There's clearly an urgency.

04:27They've now put themselves into place, after being second in the West, it's championship.

04:31Championship expectations.

04:32Yeah.

04:33But they have a three-year window, especially once we get the news that we're expecting,

04:37Tari Eason, rookie extension, you have that core built, and it's a core that goes,

04:41what, all the way through eight, right?

04:44I saw 27, 28, yes.

04:46Well, no, not through 28, but like eight players deep.

04:49Oh, gotcha.

04:50Which feels like, again, to maybe give even more credit to Raphael Stone, it's kind of

04:56incredible that they're here, that they were able to position themselves and then pivot

04:59quick enough.

05:00I'm amazed by all the teams.

05:02This one, not necessarily Thunder, because they've been planning this out for a long time.

05:05The Pacers that have looked up and been able to find a way in the new era of the NBA

05:10that you've met.

05:12Couldn't necessarily see the changes were reactionary, but it's no longer about how

05:16many star players can you molt together.

05:18It's how can you make a team that's one through eight really strong because you're going to

05:22need all of them.

05:23The Rockets are firmly there, but they also have the high-end talent.

05:26Well, it is that.

05:28You still would like to have the top three guys, the big three, so to speak, but they're

05:32well on their way to doing that as well at the very top of this roster, you know, with

05:36the man and obviously Shangun and Durant.

05:38So they're more on their way to that.

05:40Yeah, so I'm excited for this and even more excited for the fact that season starts tomorrow

05:45against the reigning champs.

05:47Question.

05:47So it feels, well, not question really.

05:49It feels like that, you know, we kind of in all this forget that Fred Van Fleet's out

05:54for the year.

05:55No, we do.

05:55I mean, I don't know that we forget it.

05:57It's clearly an undercurrent for all of this.

05:59It is worth noting that he signed a two-year extension, right?

06:03And it's a one-and-one with the player option.

06:06That player option for next year is picked up.

06:07Oh, for sure.

06:08That's picked up.

06:09I don't think you come off an injury and go, let me hit the market.

06:11Yeah.

06:12You know, you got Reed Shepard, though, and I know all the talks about Kevin Durant and

06:16all that, but I think Reed Shepard's going to be my player to watch this season.

06:20Okay.

06:21It's a big one.

06:22I think he's going to be very key down the line.

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