During an episode of FS1’s Undisputed on Wednesday, NBA Insider Chris Haynes said New York has a good chance of luring Kevin Durant away from Golden State in free agency next offseason.
UNDISPUTED on Twitter
New York Knicks have a very good shot at luring KD away from the Bay Area. … The same allure that LeBron had towards the Los Angeles Lakers, just the building, the culture, is the same way I know that KD feels about the Knicks.” – @ChrisBHaynes https://t.co/04xDGmLA2k
That’s probably music to the ears of Knicks fans and NBA offices and a nightmare of noise for the large anti-NY contingent that would love to see the Knicks suck for another two decades. Durant is the Big Fish of a stellar 2019 free agency class that will put NBA heads and the Twittersphere in a whirlwind once this season is over. If the Knicks could finally land a Top 5 player, the basketball world could start taking them seriously again.
The critics would do the same with Durant.
KD followed LeBron James Super Team blueprint when he went to Golden State and created an unbeatable dynasty. Since joining the same team that previously eliminated him from the Conference championships and winning back-to-back NBA championships with them, Durant has become one of the most criticized, marginalized and disrespected players in the game.
Stephen A Smith RIPS Durant cowardly ring chasing band wagon jumping decision!
I cannot believe he did it! My heart just sunk to the floor! The game that I love lost all it’s integrity & credibility in an instant with one dastardly cowardly decision! David Stern in 2011 vetoed Chris Paul from going to the Lakers, but new commish Adam Silver is going to allow this??
Haynes claims that when KD’s done experiencing all of the success that eluded him with the Oklahoma City Thunder, he may pull another LeBron move, by going to the New York Knicks next free agency, rebuilding a broken team into a championship-level squad and re-ingratiating himself with the fans who perceive him as little more than a bandwagon jumper.
When Bron left Cleveland they burned his jersey, but when he returned and led them to the first NBA championship in franchise history, he solidified himself as the all-encompassing, fearless icon that everyone so desperately wanted and needed him to be.
Mayowa of Lagos. on Twitter
Kyrie. Butler. Durant and Porzingis? Hmm. https://t.co/FTRM3RDBEB
There have already been rumors that Kyrie Irving and Jimmy Butler may want to come to New York next season. That’s when Kristaps Porzingis should be at 100 percent healthy again. Add Kevin Durant to that mix and Broadway basketball is back in full effect. If there’s truth to any of this, then David Fitzdale,
Scott Perry and Steve Mills need to pull out all the stops to make it happen.
Durant admits to thinking about 2019 free agency but also reiterates that he has the perfect situation in Golden State. He did, however, recently said that hes going to “be honest and transparent” in the process.
“Just be honest,” Durant told ESPN. “I was honest with my decision, but just like outwardly if people ask me about it, don’t be ashamed to talk about why I decided to move teams and switch teams because it’s not the end of the world. I didn’t do anything against the law, you know what I’m saying? That’s what I thought happened the first time.
Theres going to be speculation all season about Durant possibly leaving, but he says that if it doesnt come from the horse’s mouth, dont buy it.
“I dealt with it before,” Durant said. “I just try to be as honest as I can. I’m not going to tell people what I’m thinking. … Some days I think about my free agency, some days I don’t. Some days I think about what my future looks like, some days I don’t. I’m just human. That’s just natural for me. But I can’t sit down and talk to people about it because I want to keep playing, I want to focus on the season.
“So I know the questions are going to come. I know a lot of people are going to speculate and print rumors and sources, but nobody’s heard from me about anything, so it’s just all speculation at this point.”
The Knicks and Lakers are the two most valuable franchises in the NBA, but the last four years have been historically bad for both franchises. KD has a lot of connections to New York City and if he wins a third-straight championship in Golden State there would be no reason for him to stay. Changing his career legacy from the guy who couldnt beat em so he joined em, to the guy who put Madison Square Garden and New York Knicks hoops back on the NBA map is the only move KD can really make if he hopes to challenge LeBron James legacy as a player when it’s all said and done.
