5:08pm: Durant has made it official by announcing via Instagram that he’ll sign with the Nets.
3:55pm: Free agent forward Kevin Durant plans to sign with the Nets, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Durant will make a formal announcement via Instagram once free agency officially opens at 6:00pm eastern time, tweets Wojnarowski.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter), Durant will sign a four-year, maximum-salary contract with Brooklyn. The deal will be worth $164,255,700.
[UPDATE: Durant will accept less than the max to accommodate a $40MM deal for DeAndre Jordan]
[UPDATE: Durant expected to be acquired via sign-and-trade involving D’Angelo Russell]
It’s a fascinating decision by Durant, who was long believed by league insiders to be eyeing a move to the Knicks if he opted not to return to the Warriors. However, as it became increasingly clear that KD’s good friend Kyrie Irving would sign with Brooklyn, there was increased speculation that the Nets could be in play for Durant too. He and Irving had reportedly discussed the idea of playing together, and now they’ll get that chance.
Of course, while the two stars will share a locker room in Brooklyn, they’ll have to wait a little longer to actually take the court together. Durant is expected to miss the full 2019/20 season as he recovers from the torn Achilles he suffered during Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
Additionally, the Nets will have to make at least one more roster move before they can technically sign both Irving and Durant. Because KD’s maximum salary is higher than Kyrie’s, Brooklyn is still about $1.2MM short of that second max slot, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
In addition to adding Durant and Irving, the Nets have reportedly lined up deals with DeAndre Jordan and Garrett Temple. They’ll join a core that features Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, Joe Harris, and Spencer Dinwiddie. All-Star point guard D’Angelo Russell will be headed elsewhere with Irving arriving in Brooklyn.
As for the Warriors, losing Durant means they’re no longer facing a record-setting luxury tax bill, but they figure to be aggressive in seeking ways to upgrade their roster with their two-time Finals MVP no longer in the mix.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
The Nets are back.
Isn’t he out for all of 2020 and isn’t the record of athletes coming back from Achilles injuries less than great? But other than that, yea they’ll be back next year.
yeah, i believe 85% percent that comeback from ruptured achilles only play for like 2 seasons and theyre done. and it usually takes about 2 yrs for the player to be pretty close to 100% if at all
To be fair with that statistic Kevin Durant is better than the average player and his skill set may age better than say an uber athlete like Westbrook tore his achilles or an inside post guy. It probably costs him in some areas of his game, but with good doctors and load management the is a good chance he returns to mostly the same player.
And the Nets have the best Doctors and facilities. They brought Brook Lopez back from 3 different severe foot fractures. Doc O’Malley will have no prob.
D$- Your TEEEAM! Congrats
The medical science has gotten so much better. An even 80% Durant is a top 10 player. Your just mad the little Nets became big boys.
Huh. In fact KD may not be back in any way that resembles what he was.
Lol. You will have a 65% KD when he returns.
Lol why? Nets committing huge money to 2 players with bad legs, KD & Kyrie.
Nice job Luke keeping us up-to-date and informed.
Good job Brooklyn
Wow, NOT hyped about that as a raps fan. They BETTER bring Kawhi back
Wait. Didn’t Woj say his decision was gonna be made next week?
Durant got a little flak last time for delaying a few days. Teams in the running like the Thunder, weren’t able to execute plans B C, D. Kind of screwed them. This is way better. Especially since he already decided a while back in my opinion.
I think when all that stuff went down with green and Durrant everyone saw his departure in evitable. Now he will be teaming up with Kyrie Irving not this year coming but the following everyone better look out in the Eastern conference for Brooklyn. This will now make the clippers and the Knicks go into overdrive trying to leapfrog the Lakers and raptors for Leonard.
Good choice.
Max contract for three years of service; perhaps not so good.
I meant a good choice on KD’s part.
Good news! Hopefully now Kawhi signs with the Lakers!
Outstanding job for Sean Marks.
Where BROOKLYN at?
West coast.
Its on an island off the coast. Near Coney island, defended by… you guessed it, the Warriors.
… at least according to a movie popular in the 80s.
Both KD and Kyrie are managed by rock nation sports. Jay Z’s company.
And just like that all the flack from the Celtics trade is gone
Please baby wiener Jesus, let Russell get to the wolves. We need another young star. Wiggins is a turd covered in crap.
Kyrie and KD couldn’t trust James Dolan
Yup. I’m a Knicks fan and after it all,that’s what it comes down to.
I’m not defending the Knicks and to be honest I haven’t been an avid follower of them for a couple of years. That being said, and it’s an honest question, what has Dolan done other than make poor choices for GM and perhaps coaches? Isiah Thomas and Phil Jackson stand out as detrimental moves he made. Anything I’m missing that would seperate the Knicks/Dolan from, let’s say, the Phoenix Suns?
Oh well, on the bright side, at least the Stooges will be gone in a year. Hopefully before next year’s draft (it figures to be a good one).
Good news for the Lakers!!
LOL. I’m a Lakers fan at heart. Good news indeed my friend.
Brooklyn in the house
Gonna miss ya Durant wish ya the best on your next adventure. Thanks for the fun years in Golden State
Can’t wait to see Kry Baby KD play in a tough market. Then to play along side Cryree. This is going to be EPIC TEARS. Can’t wait till the media starts talking about his softness and see what happens.
Lol he literally hit a game winning dagger 3 over Lebron (who’s probably your hero smh) to win the finals, what’s soft about that ?
What is happening? Tweets are getting deleted left and right, is KD really going to change his mind and go back to GSW just to end Woj’s career???lol
At least KD manned up this time and didn’t join a contender.
The team was in the playoffs without Durrant and Irving now they are going to have both how is that not going to a contender? I find it ridiculous you say soft move or he may end up depending on the team he chose I would think it would make sense do you want to go to a team you think you can win with.
KD will be on the bench next year and then 70% the next year. Real helpful for a team that has Milwaukee to get thru. Enjoy your Nets bro they wont win a thing
No one is expecting Durant to miss any games for the 2020-21 season.
I’m pretty sure your talking out of your ass. Your just mad he didn’t become a Knick.
The Nets took the Warriors pitch and were like “our medical staff won’t screw you over AND we aren’t as dysfunctional as the Knicks”.
Wow, that other commenter on the other Durant thread was right — that’s why you don’t mention other teams in your pitch! Lol
Kevin’s own doctors said he was good to go in the playoffs. There were 3 different opinions on his leg. Only 1 came from a GSW doctor. 1 was from Kevin’s own doctor his agent hired. Another was a third opinion specialist that didn’t work fro GSW. Durbnat is going to the Nets for 1 reason to build his own championship team. He knew it was always Curry’s team not his team.
I don’t care what a players’ own doctors say or the player says — get better doctors. See Klay fully jumping in the locker room to show that he was good to go. That stuff shouldn’t happen if you, as a team, have better leadership, communication and medical staff.
OK Lacob, what is the plan now?
Who?
Sorry Ladies & Gents, but I have to agree with dugdog83 on this one. KD’s out for an entire season (god I’d love to receive $41 million to ride pine); DeAndre Jordan isn’t a signature ppg contributor (although he does contribute in other ways); and both are over 30– leaving Kyrie with a significant burden on his shoulders.
THAT SAID, I can’t wait for KD’s return in a year. I just hope he can heal and get his rhythm back.
Oh, and BTW, for every Rockets/Raptor fan who cheered when Durant went down, you should be ashamed of yourselves. The game is so much more exciting when the best play the best. To find joy in another person’s suffering is the essence of sociopathy.
Nets officially got the best end of that trade with Celtics back in the day.
Him and KY jelly deserve each other! Epic Fail!
Such a fine player, an incredibly gifted athlete that has mastered his craft. As a 40yr+ fan of GSW BB, I was lucky to witness a refined masterpiece of basketball excellence in KD. He was the best GSW player I got see during this time. Great times shall continue. Faces may change