Kevin Durant is Coming to the Nets

It really sucks to be a Knicks fan.

For months all we heard about was how the Knicks would get Zion Williamson in the NBA draft, and then sign Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, or Kawhi Leonard in July when free agency opened up.

Oh how cruel reality can be!

As we all know the Knicks missed out on Williamson, who was drafted first overall by the New Orleans Pelicans. Then, they lost out on Kyrie Irving who is set to sign a four-year $141 million deal with the crosstown Brooklyn Nets.

Now, they have watched the Nets do it again. Kevin Durant, considered by many to be the best player in the NBA when healthy, is heading to Brooklyn to join Irving. Should he sign with the Nets, Durant will make $164 million over four years.

This is both a huge boon and gamble for the Nets. On one hand they have two of the top 10 talents in the NBA now on their roster, and immediately leapfrog the Celtics and Raptors as the favorite in the Eastern Conference.

At the same time time, this could be a complete disaster in the making. Durant is expected to miss the entire 2019-20 season as he recovers from Achilles Tendon surgery, which he had after injuring himself in Game 3 of the NBA Finals last month with Golden State. By the time he actually suits up for the Nets in the fall of 2020, Durant will be 32 years old, and many experts believe that coming back from such a severe injury at that age is a huge risk to the player. In short, he may not be the same Kevin Durant we saw dominate the NBA when he was with the Warriors, and before that the Oklahoma City Thunder.

As for Irving, his reputation as a clubhouse diva in both Boston and Cleveland is something to keep an eye on here in New York. The media will not be forgiving if Irving acts up the way he did with the Cavs and Celtics.

Joining Durant and Irving in Brooklyn will be former Knick DeAndre Jordan. I know, insult the injury Knicks fans. At 31-years old, he wants to be on a team that can win now, and the Nets are in position to do that. Jordan averages just under 10 points and 11 boards per game.

The pressure is now squarely on the Nets to get the job done in the wins department. This was a team that showed tremendous promise with young players last season, winning 42 games and getting the eighth seed. The expectations will be ratcheted up big time in 2019-20.