The Brooklyn Nets were one of the major winners in this year's free agency. They landed two of the biggest names on the market in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

In an interview with Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, Nets GM Sean Marks admitted he had been eyeing this 2019 class for several years now:

“We planned a couple years out that we could have an opportunity here,” he says. “I think when you have a window or you have an opportunity to swing for it and take a chance, take a challenge, and you can do it with the right people, that’s when you have to do it.”

Brooklyn certainly stunned a lot of people when it actually pulled it off and signed both Durant and Irving to four-year deals.

Throughout the 2018-19 season, Durant and Irving had been clouded with rumors that they would eventually decide to team up the following season. Yes, it did eventually come to fruition. But at first, nobody predicted they would do it on the Nets.

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)

In fact, the speculation was that they would both head to the New York Knicks. However, the Nets positioned themselves into this spot by making smart decisions as an organization, making moves to improve the roster and develop young talent despite the debacle of a trade they had with the Boston Celtics earlier this decade. The Nets blossomed into a young and exciting team and, at just the right time, became a playoff team right before this amazing 2019 free-agent class.

All of a sudden, Brooklyn became a more appealing destination to the marquee names. Now, all the Nets' work over the last couple of seasons has been rewarded with a championship-caliber tandem in Durant and Irving.