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The Brooklyn Nets explored the possibility of signing Kevin Durant well before the end of their season, yet a crushing Achilles injury in the NBA Finals could possibly have become a game-changer for the team, as the prospect of him sitting out a full year due to the injury could have been catastrophic for a team betting with full pockets.
Given the significance of an Achilles injury, general manager Sean Marks reportedly told his medical team to “dig into it.” They watched video of the injury and studied the media reports while admitting his team “did not have all the facts,” as Durant's medicals were confidential to the Golden State Warriors.
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Any deal the Nets would be willing to offer would mean taking a risk on Durant, who will likely not set foot on the court until the 2020-21 season. Days before the start of free agency, Marks gathered his medical staff, asking for a show of hands to see who was in favor of committing a max contract. Every hand went up:
“That was a pretty moving moment,” said Marks, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. “When you know there’s a group of young men and women that are here saying, ‘Hell, we can’t wait for that challenge. We cannot wait to sacrifice whatever it takes to get [Durant] out on the court again, and probably prove people wrong.’ Again, it’s that sort of chip on your shoulder. Kenny and I talk about it a lot, players having that. But I think it’s also important that your entire organization has something to prove.”
The move was a risky one, and the New York Knicks reportedly weren't even willing to offer a max for a player coming off a significant injury and heading into his early 30s. The Nets, however, knew this was one chance in a million and had to take it with both hands, no matter the potential setbacks that could come from an injury of this magnitude.
