Is Kevin Durant Worth $285 Million

It is no secret by now that Under Armour has offered NBA MVP Kevin Durant an unprecedented shoe and apparel deal worth approximately $265- $285 million over the course of 10 years. The deal trumps Durant’s current deal with Nike, signed in 2007 for 7 years worth $70 million, that expires this year. The question that still lingers in everyone’s head is, is Kevin Durant WORTH $285 million. ESPN was the first to report the ground breaking deal that was offered to KD earlier this week.

Under Armour who already has a staple in college sportswear and workout gear, they are trying to increase their presence in the basketball shoe market and believes that Durant is just the player to do so. The offer includes stock options, royalties on the sale of products, and a community recreational center. Accepting the offer will have Durant joining the likes of Stephen Curry, Brandon Jennings, Kenton Walker, and Greivis Vasquez who are all signed to UA. This will be the biggest move KD has made since signing with Roc Nation Sports. Since the announcement of the possible deal, the stock for Under Armour has dropped almost 2% in an up market. With most investors and speculators stating that it is because of the potentially risky bet that the company is in the midst of making. Not only will this be the biggest sponsorship deal that UA has ever committed to, KD will also be receiving almost 10% of the company’s annual marketing budget averaging approximately $26.5-$28.5 million annually. If Durant accepts the deal, Under Armour would have to guarantee the money upfront, perhaps inching the athlete up a few spots from his current #20 position on Forbes’s list of highest paid athletes.

Now Nike (per contract) has the right to match the offer, which Durant would be legally obligated to accept. At this time Nike has yet to respond to the offer. Switching would mean that Kevin Durant would have to adopt a new logo and trademark. As of January of this year Nike has trademarked the infamous “KD” that they have used since 2008. Although KD does not currently own any trademarks, in February of this year he filed for a trademark of his rap name “Sniper Jones”. Let’s face it $285 seems pretty appetizing, but, the fear is that due to UA’s low presence in the shoe market will Kevin Durant be able to have the amount of success that he has had over at Nike. Will he be able to sell as much, or more? Will his fans follow or will they remain loyal to Nike?

We can guess as much as we want to, but we will never know until. Kevin will have to make a choice based on what is best for him and his career at this time. All successes come with a loss, this could be Kevin’s loss or his peak, but we have to leave that to faith and chance. What are your thoughts on this new deal? Do you think Kevin Durant will have any success at UA? Or do you think that Nike will come back with a counter deal? Leave your thoughts below! xoxo