Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant to Brooklyn Rumors Are Heating Up

After trading Allen Crabbe, the No. 17 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and a 2020 protected first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks yesterday for Taurean Prince and a 2021 second-round pick, the Nets made their message clear.

They are all-in on the 2019 NBA Free agency.

With Crabbe’s contract off the books, the Nets now have the ability to sign two max contracts and an enticing young roster to go with it.

According to ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst, the Nets have shifted their focus on Kyrie Irving, which supports the report of his colleague Adrian Wojnarowski from yesterday that Irving was “serious” about joining the Nets. Perhaps most importantly, Windhorst said the Nets are hopeful that he would be able to recruit Kevin Durant to join the team as well.

Although the New York Knicks,Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers are all still in the picture, early speculation has the Nets as the frontrunner for Irving.

After finishing last season sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 42-40 record, the Nets front office gained respect around the league for the way in which they constructed a playoff roster just years removed from one of the worst trades in NBA history.

While NBA free agency has yet to officially begin, it’s already fully underway. Durant and Irving have long been tagged as future teammates, but until recently, the speculation suggested the Knicks were the team they were most inclined to sign with. Now the “little brothers” of New York basketball appear to be making a play to become the powerhouses of the city.

Let the games begin.