Kevin Durant set to sign four-year extension with Brooklyn Nets
Kevin Durant is being rewarded with a massive four-year contract extension just two years after joining the Brooklyn Nets.
ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to tweet the monster extension worth $198 million, for the 11-time NBA All-Star. Woj mentioned Rich Kleiman, Durant’s longtime manager, as the source who broke the news.
It’s tough to understate the significance of this deal. As part of a sign-and-trade in 2019, Durant signed a four-year, $164 million contract just 20 days after rupturing his Achilles tendon. In his time with the Golden State, the former Texas Longhorns star helped lead the Warriors to two NBA Championships and earned a Finals MVP.
Durant’s comeback was slow, but it obviously paid off. The 6-foot-10 dual-threat forward missed the entire 2019-20 campaign as he continued to heal.
Last season, Durant finally suited up in black and white and it didn’t take long to see he was back to true form. Statistically, Durant put together one of his best seasons to date. He averaged 26.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game in the regular season, setting career highs in field goal percentage (53.7%) and three-point percentage (45%).
When the 2021 NBA Playoffs rolled around, Durant took his game to a unprecedented level. The Nets star averaged 34.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. He was 54.2% shooting. Let’s not forget Duran’ts 49-point, 17-rebound performance in Brooklyn’s second-round Game 5 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, the eventual NBA Champions.
Kevin Durant extension make Nets a favorite in Eastern Conference
Durant and the 2021 Nets won a close contest in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, before drubbing the Bucks 125-86 in Game 2. With a 2-0 lead against the NBA Champs, Brooklyn was poised and ready to make a run for the title last season.
The injuries to their core nucleus ended up being too much to overcome.
Now? Everything is in place for Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving and company to emerge as the biggest threat to dethrone the Bucks in 2022.