Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving recognized the Brooklyn Nets had a better infrastructure over the New York Knicks by midseason, according to Howard Beck of Bleacher Report.
By the time the 2019 playoffs started, Durant and Irving pretty much knew they were going to sign with the Nets and not with the Knicks, who have been a walking disaster for years under the ownership of James Dolan.
Simply put, the Nets had the superior roster, the more proven front office, the better infrastructure to support two superstars. Irving and Durant both recognized it by midseason, according to knowledgeable sources.
“The Nets guys had already proven themselves,” one source said.
By the time the playoffs arrived, the outline of a plan was set. Although rival executives widely believed Irving and Durant were headed for the Knicks, the two stars had in fact veered away from that idea months ago, the source said.
Durant and Irving both signed four-year deals with the Nets. Brooklyn was also able to get DeAndre Jordan and Garrett Temple. The Knicks, meanwhile, signed Julius Randle, Taj Gibson, Bobby Portis, Elfrid Payton, Wayne Ellington and Reggie Bullock after missing out on Irving and Durant.
Durant is expected to miss the entire 2019-20 season recovering from his Achilles tear. The Nets, though, are still going to be a force in the East with Irving, Jordan, Temple, Spencer Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen in the fold.
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