OAKLAND, Calif. — Kevin Durant helped the Warriors win an NBA championship during his first year with Golden State. General Manager Bob Myers is also crediting the finals MVP with keeping the core of that team together.

Myers met with reporters Friday for the first time since a parade in downtown Oakland celebrating the Warriors’ second championship in three years. During the 20-minute session, Myers touched on several topics but repeatedly turned the conversation to Durant’s decision to take a pay cut and sign a team-friendly two-year deal worth approximately $53 million rather than go for a max deal.

That, Myers said, was the instrumental move in Golden State’s ability to re-sign key veterans Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston.

“His gesture of taking less gave us the ability to be very aggressive in pursuing Sean and Andre,” Myers said. “I can pretty much unequivocally say without it, we’re not looking at the team we have right now. What Kevin did shows who he is, shows what he’s about, and I think it’s clear that that’s winning.

“Without him doing that, it would have been a different roster, and clearly to me, a roster that wasn’t as good as the one we have right now.”

Durant, 28, had been adamant about his desire to keep the heart of the roster together after he left Oklahoma City to sign with Golden State a year ago. His new contract will net Durant $25 million in 2017-18, with a player option for 2018-19. Durant is expected to decline the option and sign for the max then.

A seven-time All-Star, Durant could have earned as much as $36 million had he signed a max deal this season. As it is, Durant will earn even less next year than he did this year.

That opened the door for the Warriors to bring back 2015 finals MVP Iguodala (three years, $48 million guaranteed), Livingston (three years, $24 million), Zaza Pachulia (one year, $3.5 million) and David West (one year, $2.3 million).

Additionally, Golden State signed shooting guard Nick Young to a one-year, $5.2 million contract.

All of it was made possible, Myers said, because of Durant.

“He did it on his own volition, which makes it that much more impactful and impressive to me,” Myers said. “He’s a max player for the foreseeable future forever. For him to do something like that is commendable. Without him doing that other sacrifices as far as roster would have had to be made.

“That’s why people enjoy watching our team, the selflessness of the way we play on the floor. But that’s also the selflessness of who our team is as witnessed by what Kevin did and what other guys have done. That’s what people love seeing. Nobody likes seeing greed and individuals grab attention.”

Young gushed about joining the reigning champs after spending the past four seasons with the rebuilding Los Angeles Lakers. Young’s decision came after he met with Durant, Warriors Coach Steve Kerr and Draymond Green during a recruiting trip in Los Angeles.

CAVALIERS: A person familiar with the negotiations says Cleveland has agreed to terms on a one-year, $2.3 million contract with free-agent forward Jeff Green.

Green’s deal is worth the veteran’s minimum.

The 6-foot-9 Green averaged 9.2 points and 3.1 rebounds for the Orlando Magic last season. He previously played for Oklahoma City, Boston, Memphis and the Los Angeles Clippers.

TRADE: The Miami Heat traded oft-injured forward Josh McRoberts to the Dallas Mavericks for center A.J. Hammons and a 2023 second-round draft pick.

The move frees much-needed salary cap space for Miami, which owed McRoberts just over $6 million for next season. McRoberts was limited to 81 games with the Heat in the last three seasons.

Hammons is set to make $1.3 million.

PACERS: Indiana signed free agent Darren Collison and agreed to a deal with free agent Bojan Bogdanovic.

Collison’s contract is reportedly for $20 million over two years.

The point guard returns to a team he played for from 2010-12. He has career averages of 12.7 points and 4.8 assists.

Bogdanovic agreed to a two-year, $21 million deal with the Pacers after his rights were renounced by the Washington Wizards.

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