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What's the story?
It's over. We finally know where two of the most sought after free agents of 2019 will be playing. Both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are taking their talents to the Big Apple as the duo will represent the Brooklyn Nets in the upcoming season. Veteran center DeAndre Jordan will also be signing for the Barclays Center outfit.
In case you didn't know...
The rumor mill has been buzzing for months now with dossiers about Durant and where he would be playing come the 2019-20 season. Cap space issues and Klay Thompson's looming free agency also didn't help the cause as the Warriors would be facing tough decisions in the offseason.
An on-court spat with Draymond Green only made things worse. Nothing though was worse than the apparent mismanagement of Kevin Durant in the NBA Finals where he returned from a calf injury in Game 5 only to limp off with a torn Achilles.
For Kyrie Irving, life at Boston was seemingly hunky-dory until the Celtics failed to show the flair that was expected from them heading into the 2018-19 season. Irving was at the receiving end of most wagging tongues, with many earmarking him as the inhibitor to the on-court chemistry that the Cs showcased in the playoffs of the previous season.
The heart of the matter
Several reports had suggested earlier in the day that Durant's free agency decision was all set to be announced on his company owned sports network The Boardroom. However, moments later, both Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN and Shams Charania of The Athletic went on to claim that KD had decided to join the Brooklyn Nets.
It was later revealed that KD would sign a 4-year $164 million contract with the franchise. The Instagram handle of The Boardroom would finally confirm the news in the following post:
We also got to know that Kyrie Irving, who has been heavily linked with the Nets all throughout the postseason and the offseason that ensued, is also heading to Brooklyn. Irving is expected to sign a 4-year $142 million contract with the fourth year being a player option.
In addition to that, we learned that DeAndre Jordan, who played for city rivals New York Knicks last season, will also be joining the Nets. There are no specific details available for the contract that Jordan will be signing with Brooklyn though.
What's next?
While one would be tempted to think that this clean sweep by the Brooklyn Nets makes them a clear contender for the NBA Championship next season, let's not forget about the fact that KD is still recuperating from a torn Achilles. He is set to miss most of, if not the entirety of, the 2019-20 season.
While a Kyrie led team is bound to make the playoffs with a good seed, do not expect the Nets to make a deep postseason run straight away. However, their championship window, barring any unforeseen injuries, will most certainly open from the 2020-21 season onwards.
Guess the Lakers players!
