“Kevin Durant wasn’t just signing with Brooklyn for his friend Kyrie Irving”: How Nets superstar convinced his father Wayne Pratt about his 2019 free agency decision

Kevin Durant was so dead set at joining the Brooklyn Nets that his father Wayne Pratt began wondering if it was all the influence of Kyrie Irving.

The free agency window of 2019 will probably be the most momentous summer that we see in upcoming years. There was a whole roster of big-name free agents on the market back then. This isn’t even including some blockbuster trades that took place.

There were seismic changes to the NBA landscape on both coasts. The Lakers traded for Anthony Davis to pair with LeBron James, while Paul George joined Kawhi Leonard with the Clippers. But arguably the biggest change in the league took place in America’s biggest city.

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There were many rumors linking Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving with a move to New York. There was all kinds of smoke in the air as people debated which NY franchise would suit them better.

For most fans, it was a no-brainer – KD had proved himself to be a pragmatic guy. He knew in his heart of hearts that he’d rather join a proven front office like the Nets rather than the mess that the Knicks found themselves in at that point.

“You signing with Brooklyn just for your friend Kyrie Irving?”: Wayne Pratt to Kevin Durant

Matt Sullivan has released an explosive book on the 2019-20 NBA season and all the events that transpired through one of the most tumultuous years of NBA basketball.

Most of this book focuses on how the Brooklyn Nets came together and rode through this particular season. One of the interesting passages from it concerns the relationship between Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and KD’s dad Wayne Pratt:

“New York City was the Mecca of basketball, and KD wanted to live there. But he felt like Brooklyn was his vibe: “chill, on the low, all-black everything.” He’d been eyeing the Nets for years now, and they him. Dad shot back: Are you doing this just for Kyrie cuz he your buddy?”

“No, KD replied. He was making this decision for himself.”

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