Kyrie Irving Says Nets Chose KD and Never Truly Wanted Him in Brooklyn

Kyrie Irving reflects on his time with the Nets, saying the team and Kenny Atkinson weren’t sold on him.

Oct 31, 2022; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (11) talks with forward Kevin Durant (7) during the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

It's been six years since Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant teamed up on the Brooklyn Nets. Six. Years.

Yet, every few months, NBA fans are treated to new inside information about how the pairing, and eventual big three with James Harden, fell apart.

Last night, Irving went off on the Brooklyn organization while streaming, accusing the franchise of never truly desiring the nine-time All-Star.

"I wish that we got a chance to get to know them beforehand because they wasn't f------ with me like that," Irving said via Erik Slater's X post of the livestream. "Kenny Atkinson wasn't f------ with me like that. The Nets didn't want me like that. They wanted KD."

It seems that Irving is alluding to the idea that Brooklyn only signed Irving as a means to landing Durant, as the two were a package deal. Those who remember the chatter from that era of basketball know that Irving and Durant were always expected to team up, but the New York Knicks were often considered the most-likely destination.

Could there be some truth to Irving's claim?

Well, yes and no.

Irving signed a four-year, $136.5 million deal with the Nets in 2019. That averages out to about $34.1 million per year, which was the max at that point in time.

Durant signed a four-year, $164 million deal the same day, which averaged out to about $41 million per year, also the max at that point in time.

If Irving's comments were true, that means the Nets had to swallow the fact that they were paying over $75 million annually just for Durant—which seems like a bit of a stretch.

Sure, contracts in that range are common today. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander just signed an extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder that will pay him an average of $71 million annually. But that's in the year 2025.

Doing so before the 2020s even began is unheard of, and unlikely.

So, was Irving the initial target for Brooklyn that offseason? No. Durant certainly was.

But that doesn't necessarily mean the Nets had zero interest in the guard. While that may be the case from Irving's perspective, it wouldn't make sense for Brooklyn to sacrifice so much money for a player it "didn't want."

---