Kevin Durant Will Be The Biggest Winner With The New NBA TV Deal
Much has been made about how much LeBron James will benefit thanks to his genius decision to sign just a 2-year deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Durant is also slated to become a free agent in the summer before the new TV deal goes into effect (2016). However, the new deal will have a bigger impact on the Thunder forward and goes beyond just money.
While James will almost certainly see a huge bump in salary, James is not expected to test free agency and has declared his intentions to finish his career with the Cavs.
With the big bump in the salary cap - as much as $25.8 million in the first year - not only will it mean a huge increase in the maximum salary that Durant can earn, there are suddenly going to be a lot more teams with the salary cap space to sign the reigning NBA MVP and still have enough money left over to pair him with one or two additional NBA stars.
In other words, Durant will be in position to form the next super team and he can even do it in a huge market if he chooses.
According to Zach Lowe of Grantland.com, both the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks will potentially have room to add two max-contract players to their roster for the 2016-17 season. In addition, the Los Angeles Lakers could possibly add three star players as Kobe Bryant's contract will expire that summer.
Lowe describes Durant's free agency as having the potential to be "the craziest summer show in league history."
When it is all over, the balance of power in the NBA will almost certainly have shifted again.