3 years Yesterday, Kevin Durant changed the landscape of the NBA by agreeing to join the net. Yesterday, Durant rocked the league again anddemanded a trade-out from Brooklyn less than a year after — signed a four-year extension with team. A few days after co-starring and closing, my friendKyrie Irving chose the final year of his contract with Nets.
For the third time since 2016, the teams are lined up looking for a chance to win Durant and become a favorite to win the championship next year. After Durant signed the Warriors in 2016, the Golden State has won consecutive titles. Last year,Durrants toesand the injuries of Irving and James Harden hampered the best chance of bringing the championship to Brooklyn.
Nets has entered this past season as a favorite of the title. Irving then solidified his reputation as the least reliable teammate in theleague. Harden forced the way to Philadelphiain exchange for the league's second-most unreliable teammate (Ben Simmons). And Net was embarrassed by the sweep of the first round ofagainst the Celtics. Durant, 34 in September, knew that his window to bring the championship to Brooklyn was closed.
Nets sacrificed everything (of course) — a promising young cast, a talented young coach, and an enviable culture — for the chance to land the best players in the world. Gambling failed. Two healthy seasons of Durrants with the team resulted in one playoff series victory.
