Kevin Durant announces he will sign with Golden State Warriors

Kevin Durant is joining the Golden State Warriors.

Saying he has experienced "by far the most challenging few weeks in my professional life," Durant announced Monday his decision to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder in a post on The Players' Tribune.

Durant is expected to sign a two-year, $54.3 million contract, sources told ESPN's Marc Stein. The deal would include a player option after the first year.

"The primary mandate I had for myself in making this decision was to have it based on the potential for my growth as a player -- as that has always steered me in the right direction," Durant wrote. "But I am also at a point in my life where it is of equal importance to find an opportunity that encourages my evolution as a man: moving out of my comfort zone to a new city and community which offers the greatest potential for my contribution and personal growth.

"With this in mind, I have decided that I am going to join the Golden State Warriors."

After Durant signs with Golden State, two-time reigning MVP Stephen Curry will become the fourth-highest-paid player on the Warriors. Durant will be No. 1, followed by Klay Thompson ($16.6 million), Draymond Green ($15.3 million) and Curry ($12.1 million), who can become a free agent after next season.

Durant's contract can be finalized July 7, when a leaguewide moratorium is lifted on signings and trades.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr was in Hawaii and learned about Durant joining Golden State via The Players' Tribune website, ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported.

The Warriors plan to renounce their rights to Harrison Barnes, sources told Stein, to help clear the needed salary-cap space to sign Durant. That will make Barnes an unrestricted free agent July 7.

Barnes, sources told Stein, remains on course to sign with the Dallas Mavericks, who over the weekend committed to a four-year max deal with the 24-year-old worth $94.4 million no matter what happened with Durant.

Thunder general manager Sam Presti expressed the team's disappointment and gratitude over Durant's departure in a statement.

"Kevin made an indelible mark on the Thunder organization and the state of Oklahoma as a founding father of this franchise," Presti said. "We can't adequately articulate what he meant to the foundation of this franchise and our success. While clearly disappointing that he has chosen to move on, the core values that he helped establish only lead to us thanking him for the many tangible and intangible ways that he helped our program."

The Thunder will take some time before making any roster decisions, particularly related to All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook's future, sources told ESPN's Brian Windhorst.

Source: http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/16759826/kevin-durant-announces-sign-golden-state-warriors