With Kyrie Irving almost locked in, the Brooklyn Nets are rumored to be turning their attention to landing Kevin Durant and DeAndre Jordan to form a new “big three” that can launch the team to title contention.
As ESPN reported this weekend, Kyrie and the Nets are moving toward completing a four-year deal for the local star, a native of South Orange, New Jersey. The report indicated that Kyrie was the first piece to fall into place for the team’s “bold, two-part plan” that also included landing Kevin Durant in free agency. Irving and Durant have grown increasingly close, and reports during the regular season indicated that they had talked about ending up on the same team this offseason.
The Brooklyn Nets may not stop there. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Clutch Points ) , the Nets also plan to make a move for big man DeAndre Jordan, rounding out a team that could immediately compete for the Eastern Conference title.
But it will likely not be easy to pull together all pieces of the deal. As the New York Post noted, Kevin Durant is the most-coveted NBA free agent in years and has attracted interest from a number of teams. Even though Durant and Irving are close, the report noted that other teams will be aggressive in trying to land him as well.
If the Nets do somehow snag Durant — who has for months been rumored to be headed to crosstown rival New York Knicks — the final piece to the puzzle may actually be the easiest, the New York Post reported.
“Though [Tobias] Harris and [Julius] Randle are options if they don’t get Durant, veteran DeAndre Jordan — who spent last year with the Knicks — could be a fit if they do,” the report noted. “Irving and Durant are close with Jordan, and have talked with him about linking up in Brooklyn. But the Nets may only be able to offer the room exception, under $5 million.”
It’s not clear if Jordan would accept the lower offer, but a team with Durant and Irving could present Jordan the best chance to win his first NBA title.
Kyrie is reportedly pressing KD to join him in Brooklyn. https://t.co/ZqzJxRD41M
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 24, 2019
The Brooklyn Nets reportedly still have work to do on coming to an agreement with Kyrie Irving, and it is not clear exactly where Kevin Durant could be leaning. The former NBA MVP has been quiet about his plans for the offseason, frequently deflecting questions about it during the past season and his injury-shortened playoff run.
