A number of teams positioned themselves with a significant amount of cap room to sign two max-salary free agents this summer. However, only a select few were actually able to successfully fill in those slots with two legitimate superstars. One of them was the Brooklyn Nets, who signed both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.

The Irving-to-Brooklyn talks already began to heat up right after the Boston Celtics were eliminated from the 2019 postseason. This was a move that many expected Irving to do.

Rumblings about Kevin Durant joining Irving in Brooklyn only began to grow louder just hours prior to the opening of free agency. But Nets GM Sean Marks remained nervous, even though several reports already indicated that the two already had plans of signing. Marks confirmed that the shock waves – and the reality of it all – came when Durant announced his official decision on Instagram, per Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.

On the afternoon of June 30, Marks and his staff gathered in the war room for the opening hours of free agency. Internally, there was confidence that the team was positioned to land two of the biggest names on the market: Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. “Nervous anticipation,” says Marks. Just before 5:00 came the first reports: Both planned to sign with the Nets. It wasn’t until an Instagram post an hour later confirmed Durant’s intentions that Marks fully believed KD was coming. “That sent a shock wave through everyone,” Marks says. Later that evening, Irving made his scheduled visit. Gazing out a window at the city, he spread his arms, savoring the moment. He talked about how long he had been waiting for this. He talked about coming home. The next day it was official: He was in, too.

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For the most part of last season, many had already speculated Durant and Irving to join forces on one team in the 2019-20 season. But people thought that they would head to the bright lights of New York with the Knicks. However, it's clear that they saw the appeal of Brooklyn as a well-run organization, led by Marks' smart and savvy decision-making.

Landing two of the biggest names in free agency is a testament to how the Nets, under Marks' leadership, have turned the franchise around over the past few seasons.