Getty Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors shoots against the Houston Rockets during Game One of the Second Round of the 2019 NBA Western Conference Playoffs.
The Brooklyn Nets quietly made significant steps forward as a franchise this season. They increased their win total by 14, made the NBA Playoffs for the 1st time since 2015 and assembled one of the league’s best young backcourts in D’Angelo Russell, Caris LeVert and Spencer Dinwiddie.
While the season ended last week with a 4-1 series loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, some are reading tea leaves that suggest Nets management will bolster the roster for a deeper run next year. Anthony Puccio of Nets Daily says Brooklyn “has a shot” with Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and/or Tobias Harris during this summer’s free agency.
Sources have told me marquee free agents like Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard & Tobias Harris will consider Brooklyn when making a decision this summer.
More on that here for @SNYtv:
Puccio notes that general manager Sean Marks has the confidence and ability to lure “top-tier free agents.”
There’s a sense of cautionary optimism that the Nets will indeed be able to lure in top-tier free agents and Marks is ready to take that next step in his career. He has all the tools he needs in order to recruit one or even two free agents: Big market, culture, young core, winning team, and a coaching staff that focuses on players’ development and well-being, both on and off the court.
Last week as Brooklyn was conducting postseason interviews with players, coaches and management, Marks talked to the media about how this year’s breakthrough will help bring talent to head coach Kenny Atkinson.
“Again, it goes back to really establishing an identity and establishing that we’re going to go out there every night and our guys are going to compete,” Marks said to ESPN. “Kenny and the staff have got them playing at a high level, competing, they’re never out of games. It’s going to attract free agents. People are going to want to play here. They’re going to want to play for Kenny. They’re going to want to play in Brooklyn. They’re going to play for this ownership group. And I think we have a lot of things going for us.”
Latest Rumors Linking Durant, Leonard & Harris to Brooklyn
Next year, the Nets project to have $54 million in cap space. Part of that calculus (per Spotrac) doesn’t include Russell’s renewed contract, which will be significantly higher than his $7 million a year last season. His deal could reach as high as $20 million next year per our own Eduardo Solano.
Puccio states that for Durant, who is widely reported to want out of Golden State. While our own Jeff Smith favors Durant to play for the Knicks, Puccio points to him joining his friend LeVert in Brooklyn.
LeVert and Durant’s relationship is deeper than most realize. In college, LeVert’s nickname was “Baby Durant.” The two had the same surgeon when the two underwent surgery on their foot back in 2015. The surgeon is Dr. Martin O’Malley, Brooklyn’s foot and ankle specialist.
LeVert quietly went out to California and trained with Durant back in the summer of 2017, one in which LeVert explained was KD’s first workout of the summer. Durant told him, “Be ready for that moment. [He said] ‘Make sure you’re ready for it; make sure you’re ready to play your best when the spotlight is on you.'”
Durant is going to be pricey this free agency period, as he expects a bigger contract than his 2-year, $61 million one with the Warriors. Signing him and Russell would account for the entire projected cap space.
Puccio also recaps the potential of Marks flexing relationships with Leonard and Harris to bring them in the fold. First, Harris:
There’s no shortage of free agents this upcoming summer. Tobias Harris has connections with head coach Kenny Atkinson, both Long Island natives who grew up no more than 15 minutes away from one another. Atkinson’s brother, Steve, coached Harris’ youngest brother, Terry. Steve was the most recent Half Hollow Hills West head coach, and a prior assistant at the same school. Tobias finished his senior year with Hills West, while the other Harris brothers, Terry and Tyler, were standouts at Hills West.
Next, Leonard:
Kawhi Leonard is another top free agent expected to at least give the Nets a look. Marks has solid rapport with Leonard’s uncle and advisor, South Orange, N.J.-based Dennis Robertson. It should be noted that Marks spent time with Kawhi in San Antonio, as well as Brooklyn’s assistant coach/scout Tiago Splitter who played with him for four seasons. The two will be integral in trying to lure Kawhi away from the Toronto Raptors.
“All the connections should at least get [the Nets] a meeting with Kawhi,” one league source said.
With all this said, several analysts and pundits peg Leonard to land in Los Angeles with the Clippers, or even the Lakers in a package deal with Raptors president Masai Ujiri.
Prediction: Durant considers Brooklyn and New York and Leonard heads to Los Angeles. There’s too much smoke to the Clippers/Lakers rumors to think Leonard redirects to Brooklyn, while Harris has little else brewing outside of staying in Philadelphia.