Rockets' Kevin Durant Facing Significant Pay Cut in Next Contract

It is not likely that anyone will be shedding a tear for newly minted Rockets star Kevin Durant as he heads into the final year of his contract, a deal that paid him $195 million in total and will give him $54 million in its fourth and final year. Durant is getting old, no doubt, with his 37th birthday looming next month, but no one is expecting to see him in the bread line anytime soon.

But there has been new speculation around what, exactly, Durant can expect from his next deal, whether it is an extension with Houston or a new contract in free agency next summer. It's unlikely he wants to go to unrestricted free agency in the summer--most of the teams with cap space are rebuilding outfits--but Durant if he works out a new deal with the Rockets, it is unlikely it will be for a max deal.

How much would it be? Well, NBC Sports' Kurt Helin cites a source giving some parameters: "One source who spoke to NBC Sports during Summer League suggested KD might dip to about the $100 million mark for two years, around $10 million a season below the max but still $50 million a season. "

Kevin Durant Not a Certainty for a Rockets Extension

That's a pay cut, a rarity for a player of Durant's caliber at a time when the NBA salary cap consistently is on the rise. Durant has averaged 26 or more points every year for the last seven seasons, and gets his points efficiently--he's a career 50.2% shooting who makes 39.0% of his 3s.

But it's not all that much of a cut, and if Durant is willing to take a short deal, he can likely remain near the NBA max, even if below it.