By now, just about every fan of basketball has become well acquainted with the generation-defining legacy of Kevin Durant. The beloved NBA star is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time for his passionate performance, making him one of the most sought-after small forwards in the entire league. Over the course of his 16 seasons on the court, Durant has played for 4 teams, and amassed hundreds of millions of dollars in salary alone. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Kevin Durant currently touts a highly impressive net worth of over $300 million. While this sum comes primarily from his NBA salary, Durant has also bolstered his nest egg with money from endorsement deals, real estate, and many other prudent investments.
Given that KD is undeniably in the GOAT conversation, now seems like as good a time as any to take a deep dive into his multiple revenue streams, and see what we can learn about his financial portfolio. For those looking to study the moves of multi-millionaires, or those just interested in the game of basketball, let’s take a look at Kevin Durant’s net worth. Try to decipher exactly how the charismatic baller has become one of the highest-paid players in the entire NBA.
Durant’s Early Life & College Career
Long before Kevin Durant was pulling in multi-million dollar sums per year, he was born to a humble Washington, D.C. family. His father abandoned the family during KD’s infancy, leaving him to be raised by his mother and grandmother throughout his youth. Durant’s hoop dreams began quite early in his life, as he was the first in his grade to hit a massive growth spurt, reaching heights of up to 6 ft (1.83 m) by the age of 10. As a teen, Durant started playing basketball with the Amateur Athletic Union, while maintaining dreams of making it into the NBA. During this time, the young up-and-comer would play alongside other future NBA stars such as Ty Lawson, Greivis Vásquez, and Michael Beasley.
Before Kevin Durant’s senior year of high school, he had already committed to the University of Texas at Austin on a full basketball scholarship. Having already made a name for himself on the national stage, Durant closed out his high school career as the Washington Post All-Met Basketball Player of the Year, alongside several other impressive accomplishments. Ultimately, KD would only play one season of college basketball before declaring for the NBA Draft. During this season, the highly decorated player averaged 25.8 points per game, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists according to Basketball Reference.
Austin concluded the NCAA Tournament at #4, despite a highly impressive performance from Kevin Durant, which saw him stacking 30 points and 9 rebounds. KD closed out his college career with a unanimously-awarded national player of the year title, and a major recipe for success.
NBA Career
Kevin Durant officially embarked upon his professional basketball career after being chosen second overall in the 2007 draft by the Seattle SuperSonics. By the time he entered the league, KD had grown to a staggering 6 ft 11 inches, just barely meeting the maximum height requirements for the position of small forward. During his first season on the court, he averaged over 20 points per game, and rapidly locked down the title of NBA Rookie of the Year. By 2010, Durant signed an $86 million contract extension with the SuperSonics, who had relocated to Oklahoma City and rebranded as the Thunder. Shortly thereafter, he took home the title of NBA Most Valuable Player, after surpassing the league record for consecutive games scoring 25 points or higher, previously held by Michael Jordan.
At the start of the 2016 season, KD finally departed the Oklahoma City Thunder in favor of a two-year contract with the Golden State Warriors, which guaranteed over $54 million in salary. After continuing to play at an elite level with the Warriors, Durant signed new contract extensions totaling hundreds of millions of dollars with teams including the Brooklyn Nets and most recently the Phoenix Suns. Since the 2007/2008 season, KD has won 2 championships, 14 NBA All Star games, and even 3 gold medals with the USA Olympic basketball team. Per a salary breakdown from Hoops Hype, Kevin Durant has netted over $400 million overall from his NBA salary, with a projected payout of over $54 million for the upcoming 2025/2026 season.
While Durant is an all-round expert on the court, his greatest strength is in scoring. The prolific player currently touts a 27.3 game point average, even 16 seasons into his illustrious run. KD shows no signs of slowing or stopping with age, though he’s clearly got a wide array of other financial streams adding to his massive net worth.
Endorsement Deals & Brand Partnerships
Kevin Durant has made millions on brand deals over the course of his storied NBA career, including an extremely lucrative partnership with Nike. Durant first signed with Nike in 2014, in a deal that paid out $26 million per year. According to Sports Pro Media, KD extended his deal with the athletics brand into a lifetime deal in 2023, which is set to pay $250 million over the course of the next 10 years, plus a $50 million retirement package. Durant is only the third player in league history to sign a lifetime deal of this nature, following in the footsteps of Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
KD is also said to take in millions annually from other brand deals, including Gatorade, Degree, General Electric, 2K Sports, and more. Durant is a brand ambassador to the cryptocurrency trading and exchange app Coinbase, in a partnership that exemplifies his deep interest in modern tech. As one of the most popular players in the NBA, his jersey is also a bestseller, netting the small forward a sizable royalty each year, especially when he is voted MVP of the league.
Investment Portfolio
Beyond his financial windfalls in the NBA and his additional sums from endorsements, Kevin Durant touts one of the most comprehensive investment portfolios in the entire professional sports world. KD has a specific interest in technology companies, and has invested heavily in startups such as Postmates, Acorns, and a marijuana locating app titled Weedmaps. Durant explained his decision to partner with Weedmaps in a 2021 interview with USA Today, stating, “I think it’s far past time to address the stigmas around cannabis that still exist in the sports world as well as globally. This partnership is going to help us continue to normalize those conversations, as well as create content, events, and a lot more through our Boardroom media network.”
Speaking of Boardroom, KD has utilized his media corporation to invest in numerous production deals, including those with Fox Sports, Apple TV+, and ESPN. Durant serves as a producer for numerous television shows, films, and news media coverage centering on the latest events in basketball. KD has also partnered with the likes of Drew Brees, Tom Brady, and LeBron James to become part owner of a professional pickleball team, shortly after he acquired a 5 percent stake in the Philadelphia Union men’s soccer team.
These investments are just the tip of the iceberg, as Kevin Durant has continued to use his millions to invest in a wide array of businesses, startups, and philanthropic causes. Durant has even expanded into the food and hospitality industry, after opening a popular restaurant in Oklahoma City’s Bricktown neighborhood in 2013. The popular spot, titled KD’s Southern Cuisine, offers delicious down-south style cooking to patrons from all over the world.
Real Estate
As previously mentioned, Kevin Durant is a prudent and voracious investment strategist, throwing large sums of cash at many different outlets. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the NBA legend has also spent a considerable amount on real estate across the country, especially as he moves from place to place to play for different NBA teams. Durant has owned multiple properties across the Oklahoma City area over the years, including one residence which he listed for sale at just under $2 million in 2013.
In 2018 Kevin Durant purchased a lavish beachfront mansion on the sands of Malibu, California, for a price of over $12 million. He later sold the property for just under $13.5 million, making a substantial return on his investment. KD allegedly sold the Malibu home to the creator of the “CSI” television franchise, Anthony Zuiker. The most recent information about Kevin Durant’s property purchases comes from a July 2021 record, which states that the NBA legend spent $15.6 million for a sprawling California residence. The large estate is located in the Hidden Hills neighborhood, right near the famed locale of Calabasas.
With so much on-the-court savvy and wise-beyond-his-years investment knowledge, it seems clear that KD is destined for continued greatness. As of today, there’s no telling what the celebrated legend will do next, though we can be sure that he’ll be doing it with millions of dollars lining his pockets.
