Dudley: Nets' practice facility location influenced KD's decision to join team

Kevin Durant's decision to spurn the New York Knicks in favor of the neighboring Brooklyn Nets in free agency was partially due to the location of the respective teams' practice facilities, according to longtime NBA veteran Jared Dudley.

Dudley, who played for the Nets during the 2018-19 season, says he informed Durant of Brooklyn's more conveniently located practice facility in comparison to the Knicks' when the superstar was deciding on his next NBA home.

"Nobody wants to live there, no one wants to commute there. You have to get as close to the city as possible," Dudley told The Athletic's Bill Oram of the Knicks' practice facility.

Dudley continued: "That’s why Brooklyn got Kevin Durant. I told DeAndre Jordan who told Kevin Durant: the practice facility is two minutes from (Barclays Center). They didn’t even know that. I lived in the city. It took me 12 minutes to get to the practice facility. That’s a huge bonus."

The Knicks' practice facility located near Westchester in Tarrytown, N.Y. is a 27.7-mile drive to Madison Square Garden. In comparison, Brooklyn's HSS Training Center is a much closer three-mile drive to Barclays Center.

Durant, who's still recovering from a torn Achilles tendon suffered during last season's finals, has pointed to the Knicks' "not as cool" brand as a reason why the club has struck out on marquee free agents in the past as well.