Skip Bayless doesn’t approve of Kevin Durant’s decision.
Durant opted out of his contract with the Golden State Warriors and reportedly agreed to a four-year, $164 million deal with the Brooklyn Nets, who also landed fellow superstar Kyrie Irving on a four-year, $141 million pact at the onset of NBA free agency Sunday.
The move is rather risky, seeing as how the Warriors have been to five straight NBA Finals (three with Durant) and Irving is coming off a tumultuous two-year stint with the Boston Celtics, and Bayless explained Monday on FOX Sports 1’s “Undisputed” why it ultimately could be a “huge mistake” for one of the league’s best players.
“I remain shocked over this. I still can’t wrap my head around it. And after I slept on it for the night, the harder I think about it, the worse it gets,” Bayless said. “I don’t understand it. In the end, it was about Kyrie and friendship, but Kevin’s still too young to opt for just friendship.
“Kevin Durant just made a huge mistake to me. … If you told me a month ago that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving would wind up signing with the Nets, I would’ve said, ‘Yeah, and pigs are going to fly.’ ”
"Kevin Durant just made a huge mistake. … If you told me a month ago that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving would wind up signing with the Nets, I would've said, 'Yeah, and pigs are going to fly.'" — @RealSkipBayless pic.twitter.com/wvmQxSgfXK
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) July 1, 2019
Durant spent nine seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder/Seattle SuperSonics organization after being selected second overall in the 2007 NBA Draft. He joined the Warriors in free agency before the 2016-17 campaign and won two titles over the next three seasons, but Golden State already was a powerhouse before Durant joined the fray. Thus, it appeared he’d need to take his talents elsewhere this offseason to potentially maximize his legacy.
But did Durant prioritize the right things in free agency? Bayless clearly is stunned by Durant’s decision to team up with Irving, one of the most polarizing NBA players of all time, on the Nets, especially with the New York Knicks long floated as a possible landing spot. Durant basically could’ve gone anywhere.
It should be noted, however, that Durant comes with risk. Not only does he turn 31 in September. But he’s also coming off a ruptured Achilles that could sideline him for the entire 2019-20 season.
