Bobby Portis: ‘Everybody knew' Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving would sign with Nets

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If you were surprised by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving's joint move to the Brooklyn Nets, you apparently weren't paying attention. Or you just aren't an NBA player. 

The superstar duo elected to leave their respected teams -- the Warriors and Boston Celtics -- to team up in the Empire State at the opening of free agency, spurning the Knicks and other suitors in the process.

For months many assumed Durant, in particular, would head to the Knicks and Irving would join him. But veteran forward Bobby Portis -- who signed with New York in free agency -- claims he and most NBA players knew KD and Rie were going to Brooklyn for a while.

“I knew what was gonna happen in February,” Portis told Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. “We all knew that (Durant and Kyrie Irving would go to Brooklyn). Everybody knew that. I just don’t think the media knew that. Us basketball players, we all knew that."

But Bobby, who's your source? Care to spill so we all can have a leg up when Giannis Antetokounmpo hits the market in two years?

“I’m not going to leak my source,” Portis told Vorkunov. “But we all know where they were going. I’m protecting mine, but we all knew where they were going.”

February, you say? That's the exact time the viral video of Durant and Irving talking in the tunnel at the NBA All-Star Game went popped up. Remember all the hubbub about whether or not they were discussing their free-agent plans? Perhaps they actually were finalizing them. 

Irving and Durant also are very close and it's obvious they had been discussing teaming up for quite some time, based on reports that have leaked since their final decision was made.

Combine that with Spence Dinwiddie's recruitment of Irving and Caris LeVert's odd optimism in March that Durant might come to the Nets and Portis' claim pretty much checks out.

[RELATED: KD announces number change, reflects on time with Warriors]

Durant won two NBA titles and two Finals MVP awards in his three seasons with the Warriors. While his void can't be filled by one player, his exit for Brooklyn did allow the Warriors to acquire 23-year-old All-Star D'Angelo Russell in a sign-and-trade to lessen the blow.

The Dubs will miss Durant, but it appears the decision to leave the Warriors might have been made a long time ago.

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