Report: The Nets Will At Least Sign Kyrie Irving [Update]

After a lot of speculation and strongly worded hinting from insiders, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweeted out on Sunday, two hours before the official start of NBA free agency, that Kyrie Irving will formally commit to being a member of the Brooklyn Nets. Additionally, the franchise is preparing to commit to some pretty lofty roster goals.

While our own Albert Burneko brings up some well-reasoned points as to why this decision could potentially be a mistake for Brooklyn, I’ll counter that bringing in one of the league’s best players onto a team that made huge strides to improve last season is objectively a good thing—especially when that top talent is a significant upgrade to a soon-to-be former player.

It’s the other part of Stein’s tweet that’s still very much up in the air, however. Kevin Durant is reportedly going to announce his decision on his “company owned business network” called The Boardroom right when free agency starts. There’s always a chance that this becomes a decision-like move where Durant surprises folks by announcing a move to the Nets, but at this moment, that decision is just as likely as him returning to the Warriors. Personally, I think Durant announcing his decision so quickly seems to imply that he’ll be staying at Golden State, and sign the reported five-year, $221 million contract that Stein also reported. The Nets, however, seem to think differently.

If Brooklyn’s “vibes” are correct, the franchise is on the doorstep of being catapulted into title-winning favorites.

Update (5:29 p.m. ET):