The Brooklyn Nets did not even need a meeting to secure Kevin Durant in free agency.
GM Sean Marks revealed at a press conference on Tuesday that Durant committed to the Nets via Instagram without even taking a meeting or speaking with the team.
"The Instagram post that he put out, we were all sitting in the office and we all got that in real time with you guys," Marks said. "We weren't even sure if we were getting a meeting that night or a telephone conversation with him."
Marks said it was not until later that night when Durant came to the facility to meet with him, head coach Kenny Atkinson and others.
"I don't know if it was much of a pitch, but this is how Kenny talked about how to use him, how he'd play," Marks said. "We discussed the culture, makeup of the team. It was pretty evident from his excitement and expression on his face that he came to a decision pretty quickly."
In NBA free agency, things can materialize quickly, and the Nets' big-money acquisitions of Durant, Kyrie Irving, and DeAndre Jordan are a prime example. In fact, things came together so rapidly for this Brooklyn team, that even their head coach was partially caught off guard.
"Quite honestly, it did surprise me," Atkinson said. "Obviously we improved a lot last year but it wasn't a so-called star system. It was a group of guys that play really well together. I think it gives more credit to the guys that are coming here that say, 'I like that style of play, I like the way they play.' I think they want to participate in something like that.
"It surprises me just because we've come a long way in a short time. That's the biggest surprise. And it happened quicker. I know Sean was strategizing and thinking big-picture. I was kind of focused more on the day-to-day. It was a surprise they chose to participate in this type of system that we're running."
The expectation is that Durant will not play in the 2019-20 season as he recovers from his Achilles' tear. Marks said that the team doctors met and evaluated Durant on Monday but the Nets GM stopped short of issuing any timeline on when he thinks Durant could play again.
"No, I do not know," he said. "He'll be evaluated with the performance team and so forth. A timeline will be given in due time. Not going to comment on when, or if, or make any hypotheticals. Too early."