Brooklyn Nets player Kevin Durant will be the highest-paid NBA athlete by 2027, beating LeBron James and Stephen Curry. It will happen if Durant stays with the Nets and finishes his contract, which will expire after the 2025-26 season.
It is expected that Durant will have earned $498.7 million. For comparison, LeBron’s earnings will be $431.9 million, while Curry’s will be $470.1 million.
That being said, some players recently signed deals and will likely climb the rank of top earners as well.
Additionally, James’ contract will end after the upcoming season. Therefore, the predicted earnings do not account for the years between 2023 and 2027. There is a slim chance for James to retire from the NBA soon.
With four years left in his contract, Durant recently made a request to be traded. The request came only a few moments before the start of free agency. If the Nets trade Durant, the player’s earnings may change.
Possible trade with Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are currently leading the Durant race. However, it has been tough for Boston to reach an agreement with the Nets. Durant may stay in the Nets if the deal does not pass through.
There is a possibility that the Nets’ asking price will include Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, in addition to a significant amount of money. However, the Celtics have several considerations for the trade.
The Celtics’ Brian Scalabrine recently spoke to SiriusXM NBA Radio about the chance of Durant being traded to his team. The host of the show asked Scalabrine’s opinion about a possible swap between Durant and Brown.
“I don’t know how Kevin Durant is gonna age,” Scalabrine said. “If he ages gracefully, then the Celtics should do that trade.
“But if he falls off the cliff somewhere down the road, then that’s gonna be a tough move because you’re giving up a young, hungry, hardworking [player] for a guy that I don’t know how much longer he has.”
The Nets have not shown great performance so far in the season. They were swept from a chance in the playoffs. Durant also sat out from games due to an Achilles tendon injury. It took him months to recover from it.
Durant used to dominate the league and won the Finals MVP twice consecutively. With his current playing record, it would be difficult to convince the Celtics to accept the Nets’ offer.
On the other hand, the possibility of a Durant and Brown swap is just as risky for Brooklyn. Brown would earn more money as a free agent, so there is no guarantee that the Nets can keep him long enough to build a solid team.
Given the current player mobility in the NBA, FS1’s Nick Wright suggested that the Celtics send their star player Jayson Tatum to Brooklyn.
“In today’s NBA, with the player mobility, and the guys demanding trade within contracts, moving around, is it possible we are overvaluing a guy’s youth,” Wright said.
“Because the assumption had been, ‘Well his career will be spent in one place. Says who?”