Sunday night on his business Instagram page, The Boardroom, former NBA MVP Kevin Durant announced he’s going to sign with the Brooklyn Nets.
Former NBA MVP Kevin Durant announced via Instagram Sunday evening that he will be signing with the Brooklyn Nets after three seasons and two NBA titles with the Golden State Warriors.
The announcement is the first in what is expected to be a flurry of commitments to the Nets on Sunday. It had been reported earlier Sunday that Durant would be coming to Brooklyn, as were Boston Celtics All-NBA guard Kyrie Irving and former All-NBA center DeAndre Jordan from the New York Knicks.
Durant was the first of the dominoes to fall and he reportedly will sign a maximum four-year, $164 million deal with the Nets once the NBA’s annual moratorium is lifted on July 6.
Sources: Durant will sign a 4-year, $164M deal with the Nets; Irving will sign 4-years, $141M.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2019
Durant, who turns 31 on Sept. 29, will likely not play in the first season of the new contract as he recovers from surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles’ tendon. Durant sustained the injury in Game 5 of the NBA Finals after he had been out for three weeks with a calf strain.
Durant reportedly told the Warriors brain trust earlier Sunday of his decision.
Kevin Durant and his business manager Rich Kleiman met with Warriors GM Bob Myers Sunday in New York and delivered him the news on the decision to leave Golden State, league sources tell ESPN. Rest of teams were informed later this today. Teams thought process was forthright.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2019
This is fairly uncharted territory the Nets have entered — paying absolute top dollar for a player who won’t be able to contribute on the court until the second year of that top-dollar contract.
But Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks spent three-plus years positioning the franchise for this moment and he took a full swing once his moment arrived.
Durant and the Nets’ other additions join a young core that includes three-year veteran wing Caris LeVert, five-year vet Spencer Dinwiddie and two-year center Jarrett Allen.
At least for now.
Durant was a four-time NBA scoring champion earlier in his career, during his nine seasons with the Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder franchise, and averaged 26.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.1 blocks in 34.6 minutes per game with Golden State last season.
Whether Durant will be able to approach that level of production when he returns from the Achilles’ injury is now the $164 million question in Brooklyn.