Kevin Durant playing at a discount to keep Warriors together

Kevin Durant recently opted out of his contract so he could help the Warriors keep their core group of players together. But the amount he’ll be taking in exchange for that bargain is reportedly far less than people thought it would be.

According to Marcus Thompson II of the San Jose Mercury News, Durant is expected to “take even less than his expected 20 percent bump.” This is how the Warriors were able to maintain both Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston on their three-year deals.

“Combined, Iguodala and Livingston will make some $24 million next season,” Thompson II wrote. “The Warriors were willing to pay them that much because Durant — who has made more than $135 million in his NBA career, not counting endorsement earnings — made it clear he was willing to lower his 2017-18 salary even more. In essence, he is gifting part of his salary to his teammates.”

Clearly, winning more titles is the most important thing to this year’s Finals MVP. He could have made a ton more money before last year but chose to take less in order to join Golden State. Now that he has a taste of winning, he’s doing it all over again.

Many criticized Durant for chasing a ring. But in this day and age where so many players choose money over winning, it’s refreshing to see a player do whatever it takes to help his team achieve greatness.