NBA Rumors: Nets Among Teams Durant, Leonard Will Consider In Free Agency

The Brooklyn Nets are expected to be major players when the free agency market opens up in the summer, with reports claiming they will get meetings from a number of players. General manager Sean Marks is certain that free agents will keep the Nets as an option when they look for new homes.

Two-time NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant leads the 2019 free agent class and will be joined by the likes of Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson, Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris and Kemba Walker, among others. Durant and Leonard are likely to be the most sought-after when they enter free agency July 1.

According to SNY’s Anthony Puccio, several league sources confirmed that Durant, Leonard and Harris will consider a potential move to Brooklyn if they decide to leave their current employers and look for pastures new. The Nets making the playoffs for the first time since 2014-15 season is said to have played a major role in this sudden turn for them becoming a potential destination for top players.

Marks was certain that this season was a catalyst for change and he believes there will be players wanting to play for the Nets in the upcoming campaign. They also have a top coach in Kenny Atkinson and the general manager believes he too will be part of the lure for top free agents looking for a new home.

"The process we went through this year - and there's a lot of positives that've come out of this year - can only help," Marks said. "It's going to attract free agents. People are going to want to play here. They're going to want to play for Kenny [Atkinson], they're going to want to play in Brooklyn, they're going to play for this ownership group. We have a lot of things going for us."

The Nets can make space for two max free agents in the summer if they are able to trade Allen Crabbe’s contract and renounce current star of the team DeAngelo Russel, and let go of six other players who do not have a deal.

The Nets, however, will have their task cut out when it comes to making offers to the top free agents as there are other teams that have more revenue to offer large contracts. The New York Knicks are leading the way with a league high $74 million in max salary cap space, while the Los Angeles Clippers also have space for two big free agents.

Durant is already said to be close to agreeing a deal with Knicks, while the Clippers have also made a strong case for players looking to move on from their current teams. Leonard is said to be top of the Clippers' wish list and they are also said to be the forward’s top preference.