Do professional athletes value money or success?

SOURCE: www.womenvotepa.org

   When you think of sports, you’d usually think of the star athletes and their big contracts. Dan Gartland and Kristian Winfield, established writers for Sports Illustrated and the NBA, wrote articles about Kevin Durant’s unexpected contract agreement and Derrick Rose’s contract with the Cavaliers which both happened this Summer. These trades introduces the idea that not all athletes go for expensive contracts, they just want to win. Which is, in my opinion, how it should be.
 
  Coming off of a championship run, Kevin Durant has agreed to stay with the Golden State Warriors while getting paid less than he got paid last year. As stated by Gartland”What is a surprise is Durant’s low salary.” It was hard to believe when I first heard that he agreed to this contract deal.  This shows that he cares about winning and accolades more than just getting lots of money.“Durant’s discount allowed the Warriors to offer more money to Andre Iguodala, who has agreed to a three-year contract worth $48 million”(Gartland). He agreed to get paid less than a sixth man, keeping the team together. Thus, giving them a better chance to win another championship.

 Former NBA mvp Derrick Rose also received a pay cut by agreeing to go a better team. According to Winfield,” The contract is a severe drop-off in pay for Rose, who collected $21.3 million from the Knicks last year.” With Kyrie Irving left the eastern conference champion Cavaliers, Derrick Rose saw the opportunity to join them. For nearly $20 million less than what he got paid the year before. Even though he gets a severe pay cut, he wants to play for a championship contender. He would rather play on a winning team than get paid more on a team that’s not winning.

Future Research Question: Does money change an athlete's mindset?