Sometime in the next 10 days, Kevin Durant will have made his decision where to play basketball next season. Hes heading overseas on July 9 for a promotional tour, and according to sources, he plans on having made his free-agency choice before he leaves.Despite having meetings lined up with six other teams, the Oklahoma City Thunder are the front-runners, with some around Durant saying someone is going to have to convince him to leave, rather than the Thunder convincing him to stay. His heart is in Oklahoma City, a place he affectionately refers to as a home. But hes willing to listen, and therefore, willing to leave the door wide open to the possibility of leaving. At this point, some 48 hours before the free-agency window opens, its all up in the air.Regardless of that choice, what many feel is not an unknown is the terms of the new contract. With the salary cap erupting incrementally over the next two years, Durant stands to cash in on a system quirk. If he re-signs for one season and delays his long-term choice another summer, hed become a 10-year player, and stand to be eligible for a 35 percent max deal rather than a 30 percent. Its the difference in some $85 million over the entire length of a new contract. Even for someone as loaded as Durant, that gets your attention.If its a one-year deal Durant wants, the Thunder quickly become his only reasonable option. They have his Bird rights, so they dont need cap space to sign him. The Warriors, the Spurs, the Heat, the whoevers -- theyd have to be $27 million under to sign him. And then the kicker: Theyd have to be $34 million or so under again next season to re-sign him. So his new team has to gut/trim this summer and then do it all over again next summer. It doesnt make a lot of sense.The Thunder would happily take Durant on the one-year deal. Theyd sign him to a daily contract that needed to be re-upped for every game if thats what it took. Its practical for Durant, and not financial devastation to the Thunder. But a one-year contract does complicate things for the organization. Sam Presti complimented Durants focus and caretaking of the franchise this season, minimizing distractions and keeping away narratives. Presti actually went as far to say the season they had wouldnt have been possible had he not.If hes only back on a one-year deal, though, its this season all over again, but on steroids. No longer is there the backdrop of oh, hell probably just sign for a year. And on top of it, hes now aligned with Russell Westbrooks free agency, setting the stage for potential free agency Armageddon for OKC.Plus, there are the optics, at least from the OKC side. Durant is hearing pitches and flirting with other teams. That fact alone means hes considering leaving the only organization he has ever known. If he signs for a year without committing for the long term, theres no celebration in Oklahoma City. Theres only delayed anxiety. The 2016-17 season is pressurized to incomprehensible levels, and fans will have to look over their shoulders all year long.Durant cares deeply about the Thunder. He takes great pride in knowing hes a stakeholder in the franchise. He talks proudly of building this thing from the ground up and knowing his fingerprints are all over the culture and identity of the entire organization. The Thunder have been constructed for him and by him at the same time.Durant likes to cut against the grain, taking pride in making independent decisions and freethinking for himself. It always has irked him that many made the assumption hed go back home to Washington, D.C., just because LeBron James did with Cleveland. His entire brand had been built and cultivated on the simple principle of being himself. The aw-shucks tweet announcing his extension in 2010 while LeBron held a one-hour special; asking for teammates to accompany him on the cover of magazines; donating $1 million less than 24 hours after a tornado shredded part of the Oklahoma City metro area.Or, of course, the MVP speech that had every mom in America forwarding links to their sons saying, Have you see this? Durant didnt show up that day planning a prepackaged speech sure to produce tears. He had a few words written on a napkin, and followed his heart for the rest of it. Nike is paying Durant nearly $300 million because of that stuff. His brand has been zigging when theres an expectation to zag.Which is why a long-term deal with the Thunder isnt out of the question. Durant has talked openly about money recently, saying this when asked during the postseason about David West opting out of his deal to sign for the veterans minimum:Money isnt everything in this life, he said. I know we tend to think about taking care of your family, being financially stable. But from the outside looking in, it looks like he said, well, Ive been blessed to make X amount and Ill be happy chasing something thats the grand prize in this league. So I respect him for it. A lot of guys wouldnt have done it.Many saw that quote as Durant leaning his way out of town, leaving the one-plus-one megabucks deal on the table to go sign elsewhere. But what it might have been reference to is the opposite. Durant might be thinking of leaving money on the table to sign long term. Hes still a max player making lots and lots of money, so its not a pay cut. But its a break for his team, and one that can help enable them to build a better roster to with which to contend. All that youth and potential the Thunder have will need to be eventually paid. And every penny counts.Durant will at least have that presented to him by the Thunder. He cares deeply about legacy. But legacy isnt only found in championships. He has said that himself, lamenting at the notion a title is the only thing that defines greatness in a player. What will resonate more than anything this summer, or longer? Durant bucking the trend and planting his flag in the ground with the organization he helped build. That is mostly the stuff of fantasy in professional sports, so theres no expectation of Durant going for it. The money is real, and nobody could blame him for making the practical, pragmatic choice. Its what makes the most sense. Its whats most likely.On the other hand, another opportunity to zig.In 10 days or less, were going to know which way he decides to go. Malcolm Jenkins Jersey . PAUL, Minn. Mack Hollins Jersey . If ever they start actually putting pictures beside words in the dictionary, the Blue Jays left-handers mug will appear beside “Consistency. http://www.cheapeaglesjerseysonline.com/?tag=avonte-maddox-jersey-online . Gerald Green and Miles Plumlee? 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If its a given that NFL officials will be criticized now and then, such bad-mouthing becomes that much more significant when some of the leagues most prominent voices -- Cam Newton, Richard Sherman, Josh Norman -- rise in unison to complain about the men in stripes.Panthers quarterback Newton, the reigning near-unanimous MVP, was fed up after having his right knee twisted on a low shot from Cardinals defensive tackle Calais Campbell in the third quarter of Carolinas 30-20 victory over Arizona in a rematch of last seasons NFC championship game.At times, I dont even feel safe. And enough is enough. I plan on talking to Commissioner (Roger) Goodell about this, Newton said. I dont know what I have to do. ... I dont think theres a person that can go through what I go through and still keep their head.His words Sunday came a couple of months after he absorbed four helmet-to-helmet hits that resulted in a grand total of zero penalty yards in a season-opening loss to the Denver Broncos.This time, Newton noted the hits to the head while also making an impassioned plea for more protection in the pocket from officials, who hed rather have make more calls than frequently explain they were sorry for not throwing a flag.I just cant keep accepting, `Oh, we missed that one or `I apologize for doing that or `I didnt see it, Newton said.Seahawks cornerback Sherman and his coach, Pete Carroll, complained about what they said were illegal pick plays used by Saints receivers as New Orleans came back to beat Seattle 25-20 .Its hard to play defense like that. Its tough to play in this league with the way games are being officiated. The rules are already skewed to the offense, but you have to fight through it and find a way to win, said Sherman, never shy about sharing his thoughts. Its obvious to the outside world how the game was officiated. ... I mean, the calls -- or lack thereof -- were pretty egregious.Another speaks-his-mind, elite cornerback, Washingtons Norman, was upset after drawing five flags -- four for illegal use of hands -- while trying to cover Cincinnati receiver A.J. Green during the teams 27-all tie in London.Norman called out field judge Brad Freeman by uniform number andd said: Im just going to be honest with you; Im going to be straightforward: He was terrible.dddddddddddd I feel like he should be reprimanded.No stranger to fines from the NFL, Norman -- and Newton and Sherman -- might be getting reprimanded this week.In case you missed it, here are the other notable topics after the NFL seasons eighth Sunday:0-16?: Only one team, the 2008 Detroit Lions, has gone 0-16, but now the Cleveland Browns are halfway there and looking capable of going a full season without winning after a 31-28 loss at home to possibly the easiest opponent left on the schedule, the QB-challenged New York Jets.KISSING YOUR SISTER: Maybe the NFL needs to reconsider its overtime rules yet again, because no one likes a tie, and for the first time since 1997, there have been two in one season -- in consecutive weeks, no less. I dont think there should be a tie. Is it a win? Is it a loss? Redskins defensive lineman Chris Baker said. I dont know what it is.BRADYS BACK: So maybe a little longer offseason for Tom Brady helped him and the Patriots. Since returning from his four-game Deflategate suspension, Brady has thrown for 12 touchdowns and zero interceptions and led his team to a 4-0 record. His latest masterpiece was a 4-TD performance while beating the Buffalo Bills 41-25.RAIDERS VS. BRONCOS : Lets look ahead to next Sunday night, when there will be quite a top-of-the-AFC matchup between the Super Bowl champion Broncos and the up-and-coming Oakland Raiders, a pair of 6-2 teams who are chasing the New England Patriots (7-1) for conference supremacy. And while the Raiders set an NFL record by being called for 23 penalties for 200 yards in their 30-24 overtime victory at Tampa Bay this week, the most noteworthy numbers were those put up by Oakland QB Derek Carr: 513 yards, four TDs, zero INTs. Should be fun watching Carr, Amari Cooper and Co. work against Denvers dominant defense.---Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP-NFL Cheap Adidas Hockey Jerseys Wholesale College Jerseys Cheap Nike Basketball Jerseys Cheap Football Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Baseball Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Jerseys From China Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Nike NBA Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic Cheap MLB Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Soccer Jerseys China Cheap NCAA Jerseys China Stitched NFL Jerseys Cheap Custom Jerseys China Cheap Basketball Jerseys Authentic NFL Jerseys China Cheap College Jerseys Wholesale Football Jerseys ' ' '