Kevin Durant opted out and signed a new deal at the offset of free agency, the deal represented a $5 million raise for the 2018-19 season, but it’s the money that Durant left on the table that allowed the Warriors to improve even more in free agency.

Durant had options this summer, and the Warriors publicly pledged to give him whatever he asked for when it came to his new deal. A 1+1 deal with another opt out next summer was always what made the most sense, because it would allow Durant to sign a 5-year $219 million deal next year, when the Warriors obtain his Bird Rights. That would allow the Warriors to exceed the salary cap to retain him, and that’s eventually what he did.

Still, Durant left a potential max deal on the table this summer as well, and that deal would have made his 2018-19 salary upwards of $35.4 million dollars, so in theory, Durant took another discount to help the organization and allow them some flexibility in free agency this offseason.

So, it’s no coincidence that DeMarcus Cousins’ new deal fell right into that threshold, as the Warriors signed the four-time All-Star to a one year deal for the midlevel exception of $5.3 million. The Warriors are currently set to pay an extra $3.25-per-dollar tax for every dollar into the luxury tax this season, making Cousins $5.3 million salary actually count as $22.5 million towards their bottom line.

Granted, the midlevel exception is exactly what it sounds like, an salary cap exception, but Durant carving out nearly that exact amount of extra money certainly emboldened the Warriors to use that cash to bolster their roster yet again.

Ironically enough, Durant and Cousins had an on court confrontation in a game in December that led to both players being ejected and Cousins reported seeking Durant out in the locker room afterwards.

Now, they’re teammates, and Durant is a big reason why the Warriors could even afford Cousins in the first place.