The Brooklyn Nets signed Kevin Durant to a max contract extension on Sunday, and the goal is to do the same with the other two members of their Big 3 this offseason.
Durant signed a four-year, $198 million extension with the Nets. That ties the two-time NBA Finals MVP to Brooklyn through the 2025-26 season. Nets general manager Sean Marks said Wednesday that he is “confident” the team will agree to extensions with James Harden and Kyrie Irving before training camp as well. ESPN’s Bobby Marks broke down what those deals would look like:
Max extensions for both players would be:
Harden- 3 years/$161M (starts in 2023-24)
Irving- 4 years/$186.6M (starts in 2022-23) https://t.co/25pVoGtLhx
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) August 11, 2021
If and when that does happen, Brooklyn’s Big 3 will be locked in for five more seasons. That eliminates the risk of losing any of the three players in free agency during their primes. Of course, we know that superstars have a great deal of power in the NBA, so it does not guarantee that one or more of the three won’t force a trade.
The Nets were considered the favorite to win the Eastern Conference at one point last year, but injuries caught up to them. One player believes they would have won it all had they been at full strength.
Durant, Harden and Irving should have plenty of chances to prove they can win together in the postseason.
