Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving received several benefits from the Nets, which may have included having their girlfriends’ houses paid for.
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The Nets have done everything in their power to appease their superstars when they joined ahead of the 2019-20 season. The Nets landed both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant in a couple of stunning moves over the offseason, and they knew that they had to keep their new superstars happy.
This led to them potentially overpaying for DeAndre Jordan due to his friendship with the duo. They chose a coach of their liking, and they were even able to bring in a third star in James Harden.
Catering to your superstars is expected, but balancing that line can sometimes get tricky, and you could find yourself maybe doing too much. The Nets may be guilty of this charge.
Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving Had Their Girlfriends’ Houses Paid For In A Potential Illegal Move
Matt Sullivan appeared on the “The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz” and said the following about the situation with the Nets:
“A very high-ranking official with the Nets who had a lot to do with the money said basically, there’s a blank check as soon as these guys got here – whether that’s buying a girlfriend or a girlfriend on the side a house in California for a week, whether that’s just putting up money for the boys and the homeboys and equipment for random s***, they’re totally cool with that.”
So, what’s the problem with this? Well, players aren’t typically supposed to receive any sort of compensation outside of their contracts and salaries. Of course, there are many exceptions like an owner or coach buying a drink or meal for his players, but for more serious purchases (like a house), there are definitely grounds for punishment.
The NBA investigated into this exact matter when Kawhi Leonard joined the Los Angeles Clippers as there were claims that he wanted LA to funnel him money to his uncle or advisor Dennis Robertson.
So, will the NBA look into this? There’s a decent chance they could if they find some concrete evidence. This clearly goes beyond the scope of the normal salary cap, and the Nets could be in for some major punishment if this falls through. NBA Twitter has also made fun of the NBA for enabling such acts to take place:
