Getty Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant
The Brooklyn Nets already know they are signing Kyrie Irving, but the question is whether he will bring Kevin Durant with him. The New York Times Marc Stein reported that the Nets are “confident” they are landing a trio of Durant, Irving and DeAndre Jordan.
“An undeniable vibe of confidence is emanating from Brooklyn as we speak: The Nets sure seem to believe they are getting Kevin Durant’s commitment tonight to go with Kyrie Irving”s … with DeAndre Jordan, Durant’s close friend, to follow…The Warriors had $221 million on the table and both Stephen Curry and Bob Myers in New York this weekend. If the Nets can beat all that …,” Stein tweeted.
Durant was rumored to be meeting with the Warriors, Clippers, Knicks and Nets when free agency starts, but the latest report calls this into question. The Athletic detailed Durant’s initial plan.
Warriors President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Bob Myers, fresh off his new contract extension, is tentatively scheduled to travel to New York over the weekend, where Durant and his inner circle are located, league sources told The Athletic. Other teams, such as the Knicks, Nets and Clippers, could speak with Durant, too. The Knicks have other free agency meetings set in Los Angeles during the week, according to sources.
Kevin Durant Will Make His Announcement at the Start of Free Agency
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Durant will make his announcement at the start of free agency via The Boardroom Instagram page. Durant partnered with ESPN+ to create The Boardroom docu-series. Irving is also expected to make his announcement tonight.
“The Nets will have a formal commitment from Kyrie Irving at their practice facility in two hours, league sources say, and — as @NYTSports reported Monday — have been aggressively pursuing a Kyrie/Kevin Durant/DeAndre Jordan trio in hopes of luring Durant away from Golden State,” Stein reported on Twitter.
There had been rumors that Durant could team up with Kawhi Leonard on either the Knicks or Clippers. Given Durant is issuing a quick decision, it seems unlikely that this is still in play. Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher reported that Durant and Irving already met twice prior to free agency.
Durant and Irving, league sources say, have met twice in recent weeks to discuss their desire to continue their careers on the same team, an idea forged while playing together on the U.S. national team. The first meeting took place in the Bay Area while Durant nursed a strained right calf; the second occurred in New York shortly after Durant had surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.