Nets GM: Kevin Durant Joined Brooklyn Because of System, Style of Play
Kevin Durant signed with the Brooklyn Nets because he was sold on the way the team played, general manager Sean Marks told WFAN on Tuesday.
According to Marks, Durant told him that he joined the Nets because he loved the team's system.
"I love how you guys play," Durant said. "I see how hard you guys play ... you were never out of games. We could never take you guys lightly."
Durant's admission came after he announced that he was leaving Golden State on his Instagram account just minutes after free agency began on June 30. Marks said he had no prior conversations with the former MVP and found out about Durant's departure through the post.
"What we knew was we were either getting a teleconference call with Kevin that night or we were going to potentially get a meeting," Marks said. "We'd seen some media reports earlier in the day that Kevin had crossed several teams off his list and we were still [being considered]. And those reports were there for everybody to read. And then when Kevin posted it on The Boardroom Instagram site, that was news to all of us in the office."
Durant, 31, declined his player option with Golden State to become a free agent in June. He agreed to sign a four-year, $164 million deal with the Nets on the eve of free agency. Durant underwent surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles on June 12 and is expected to miss up to a year recovering.
When asked when he believed Durant would enter the team's lineup, Marks said the Nets would not play a role in making that decision.
"We're certainly not going to rush him back," Marks said. "There's going to be absolutely none of that. We have far too much invested in him, and we owe it to Kevin to get him back to 100 percent.
"This is entirely going to be a Kevin Durant decision," he added.
The Nets finished the 2018-19 regular season 42–40 before falling to the 76ers in five games in the first round of the playoffs.
