Kevin Durant to decline player option, restructure deal with Warriors

SALT LAKE CITY -- Golden State Warriors All-Star Kevin Durant plans to decline his player option for the 2018-19 season and will become an unrestricted free agent this summer, league sources tell ESPN.

However, his time on the open market will be brief.

The reigning NBA Finals MVP will be turning down a salary of $26.2 million, a figure well below a player of his caliber, in order to restructure a new deal with the Warriors, sources said.

Last offseason, Durant inked a discounted two-year, $51 million deal that included an opt-out clause. He took close to a $10 million pay cut from what he would have earned on a max salary. Agreeing to such terms allowed the team to retain forward Andre…