Knicks Rumors: Can Phil Jackson Land Kevin Durant?

Jan 15, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (L) and guard

(R) look on during warm ups prior to their game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports

5. Cross Their Fingers

Regardless of how glamorous an organization the New York Knicks may be, this is a massive long-shot. That must be established in order to validate any other step in this process.

As soon as the Knicks accept how unlikely it is for Kevin Durant to sign with them, the better they can prepare to make a pitch.

It’s a Hail Mary or nothing, and that’s exactly how it should be approached.

The driving force behind the Durant-to-the-Knicks rumor is his friendship with franchise player Carmelo Anthony. That will be a factor, but it’s not the only case of the buddy system coming into play.

Russell Westbrook, another one of Durant’s closest friends, is his current fellow star on the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The New York Knicks aren’t the only team that will be pursuing Kevin Durant. They aren’t the only team with some form of a legitimate chance to sign him. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Should OKC get over the hump and compete for a championship, the desire to leave town could be neutralized by the presence of the players whom he’s matured with.

To make matters more difficult, Durant is signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation. Jay-Z is a Brooklyn resident who brought the Brooklyn Nets to his home borough.

The Nets are expected to make a play at Durant with Joe Johnson coming off-the-books in 2016. KD’s hometown Washington Wizards will do the same.

While optimism is always welcome at the Mecca, it’d be an astonishing pull for Jackson to land Durant.

With the preceding steps, he can at least position the Knicks to do so.