NBA Free agency always sends players and fans into a tizzy – 2016 and 2019 were the busiest years in NBA history.
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NBA teams usually spend the big money when they know the premium talent is available for free. Two such classes in the recent past have been the 2016 window and the 2019 window. These windows have seen a total sum of nearly 8 billion dollars of contracts signed between them. That puts the total value at 4 times what Sacramento Kings are currently worth.
The 2016 class saw perhaps the most high-profile move of the 2010s- couple of high-profile names move teams- Kevin Durant to the Warriors. KD moved to a team that had just beat him. Considered a snake for that move, memes from then are still circulating even today. The best part about KD was he also features in the next class of 2019 as well.
He only signed a short-term deal with Golden State, and All signs were pointing to an extension. Until he decided to snake them again and move to Brooklyn. While he only managed to play a lone season in the playoffs with them, he’s ready to jump ship, since his 3-year quota has to be complete. Money flows like the Mississippi river in the NBA, and Kevin Durant drinks like a horse.
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Free Agency this year also had a lot of excellent deals – but Kevin Durant hogged all the limelight for the third time
There were several 200 million dollar deals this July, but one 200 million men captured headlines even though he was not a free Agent. Even though he has 4 years left on his contract, Kevin Durant became the talk of the town 3 hours before the official announcement for deals to be done. He seems to love the pattern because he seems to do it every three years.
2016, 2019, and 2022. He isn’t a FA this time, so he may have wanted to make a splash. KD has always been in the centre of all things social media, and this was his doing. Quitting on a team to potentially join another that just beat him is not new to the Slim Reaper. He did it in 2016 and is probably going to repeat it this year.
This year did not have too many shockers, but a lot of money was involved in the first few hours. After that, it simmered down, and the scene is uneventful so far. If the wantaway Brooklyn pair do find homes, or if LA finds a buyer for the Russ+THT+first rounder package, things may perk back up.
