It’s been a pretty good couple of days for Kevin Durant.
After winning the gold medal with the United States at the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday, the Brooklyn Nets officially announced that they signed Durant to a multi-year extension. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the deal is worth $198 million over four years, which will keep him in Brooklyn through the 2025-26 season.
“We know who he is. Kevin Durant will establish his legacy in Brooklyn as one of the greatest ever,” Nets owner Joe Tsai said. “On behalf of the Nets organization, my family, and our fans, we are excited and humbled to see a lot of Kevin for years to come.”
After sitting out the entire first year with the Nets while recovering from a ruptured Achilles suffered in the 2019 NBA Finals while with the Golden State Warriors, Durant returned to the floor in the 2020-21 season and starred in Brooklyn. While injuries hampered him and his superstar Nets teammates in Kyrie Irving and James Harden, Durant averaged 26.9 points and 7.1 rebounds over his 35 regular-season games.
He was even better in the playoffs, carrying the Nets as far as he could with 34.3 points per game — including 49 in Game 5 of the second round against the Milwaukee Bucks and another 48 in Game 7 of that series. His heroics weren’t enough for the hampered Nets, however, as they bowed out of the playoffs in that winner-take-all game to the eventual NBA champions.
With Durant and the other members of Brooklyn’s “Big 3” healthy, the Nets will once again be considered one of the favorites to win the NBA title next season — something the franchise has yet to experience.
“Kevin is a transcendent talent who continues to drive and push this franchise and the game of basketball globally,” Nets general manager Sean Marks said. “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with him for years to come. Kevin’s impact both on and off the court cannot be overstated. His unparalleled drive and leadership generate sustained excellence from himself while also elevating the performance of his teammates, positioning this organization to continue the pursuit of our championship goals in Brooklyn.”
