Nothin' But Nets
Fansided

Brooklyn Nets: 3 reasons Kevin Durant should come to Brooklyn next summer

By Phil Watson

OAKLAND, CA - MARCH 06: Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors looks to pass over the top of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson #24 of the Brooklyn Nets during an NBA basketball game at ORACLE Arena on March 6, 2018 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - MARCH 06: Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors looks to pass over the top of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson #24 of the Brooklyn Nets during an NBA basketball game at ORACLE Arena on March 6, 2018 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 4
Next
Brooklyn Nets
CLEVELAND, OH – JUNE 6: Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors shoots the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game Three of the 2018 NBA Finals on June 6, 2018 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /

3. Kevin Durant is the ultimate pace-and-space 3

Kevin Durant is nearly 7 feet tall, but functions very well at the small forward spot. Also a willing and very able defender, one could call Durant the ultimate 3-and-D wing.

For a pace-and-space system such as that employed by the Brooklyn Nets, Durant is a seamless fit.

Able to space the floor? Durant is a career 38.4 percent shooter from 3-point range and turned in one of the NBA’s rare 50-40-90 seasons in 2012-13 with the Thunder.

Able to defend? Durant averaged 1.8 blocks per game last season and when reviewing video of Durant at the defensive end, it’s borderline criminal he’s never found his way onto an All-Defensive team.

Live Feed

NBA Rumors: Is it inevitable Donovan Mitchell will end up with Knicks or Nets?
NBA Rumors: Is it inevitable Donovan Mitchell will end up with Knicks or Nets? /

Sir Charles In Charge

  • 4 Teams that need to trade for Hawks' Trae Young immediately Soaring Down South
  • 4 Trae Young trades the Hawks should consider FanSided
  • These NBA stars might switch teams sooner rather than later All U Can Heat
  • The Whiteboard: Wild cards who could reshape the 2023-24 NBA season FanSided
  • NBA Rumors: Ben Simmons in best shape of his life for third time in 3 years FanSided

    • But some of that certainly spins back to the legacy issue.

    The one nagging issue with Durant being your superstar is that he would need some veteran voices around him.

    Being the alpha male has never suited Durant, who deferred that role to Russell Westbrook while in Oklahoma City and has happily let Stephen Curry take that on with the Golden State Warriors.

    Because Durant will have three years with the Warriors, Golden State will have his full Bird rights next summer — meaning he could get a five-year deal worth up to $221 million from the Warriors.

    That would be tough for Brooklyn to compete with, since their offer could only be four years and roughly $177 million (hardly a pauper’s wage, but still a lot less in total than Durant could get from the Warriors.

    The other factor that could give pause to this chase is simply that Durant will be 31 before the 2019-20 season opens and a four-year deal would carry him through his age-35 season.

    While he doesn’t have the workload with Golden State (averaging 33.8 minutes per game over his two seasons there) that he did with the Thunder (37.8 minutes per game over nine seasons), Durant will be looking at some sort of productivity dip, likely during his next contract.

    If you’re OK with that as a GM (and honestly, a slightly less-effective Kevin Durant is still going to be far more valuable than 100 percent of most players), then Durant is worth the risk.

    He could get to the media mecca of New York, completely spin a 180-degree turn on his legacy and be in a system tailor-made for his skill set.

    Next. 10 best seasons in franchise history. dark

    The likelihood of this is roughly on the same level of me being named Supreme Ruler of the Galaxy, but when you’re almost a year out from free agency, that’s the time to have a little bit of fun and play the “what-if” game.