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Knicks Rumors: 5 Reasons Kevin Durant Could Choose New York

By Maxwell Ogden

May 16, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) celebrates after a basket against the Golden State Warriors during the fourth quarter in game one of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Golden State Warriors 108-102. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
May 16, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) celebrates after a basket against the Golden State Warriors during the fourth quarter in game one of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Golden State Warriors 108-102. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 26, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) slam dunks the ball against the Orlando Magic during the second half at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks defeated the Magic 108-95. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 26, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) slam dunks the ball against the Orlando Magic during the second half at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks defeated the Magic 108-95. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /

3. The Unicorn

Despite being just 20 years of age, Kristaps Porzingis has already become a source of optimism for the New York Knicks. He was unanimously selected to the 2016 All-Rookie First Team, and put forth one of the most statistically prolific rookie seasons in NBA history.

One of the the players who took notice of Porzingis’ enchanting potential was Kevin Durant.

When asked about what he thought of Porzingis, Durant provided one of the best quotes of the year. He didn’t give the generic, “He’s going to be a great player in this league,” but instead found a surprising word to describe Porzingis.

Durant, who adamantly reads NBA Draft sites, was as excited when the Knicks drafted Porzingis as anyone, dubbing him a, “Unicorn,” per Royce Young of ESPN.

"“When they made the pick, I texted [Knicks head coach Derek Fisher] immediately and said ‘I like this kid, he can play.’ A lot of people were down on him, but he can play. He’s a skilled guy and I think we’ve gotten away from enjoying skilled players in this league. We get so many players that are athletic and big and strong, but he’s a skilled player.” “He can shoot, he can make the right plays, he can defend, he’s a 7-footer that can shoot all the way out to the 3-point line,” Durant said. “That’s rare. And block shots — that’s like a unicorn in this league.”"

Durant is aware of how rare a player like Porzingis is.

Durant isn’t going to leave a championship-caliber team in Oklahoma City just to play with a 20-year-old who looks like he could be great. Porzingis is a selling point, however, in the grand scheme of what New York has to offer.

At the very least, Porzingis’ elite potential on both ends of the floor is something that can provide Durant with a larger window to contend.

The strength of Porzingis’ presence is that it gives free agents a sense that there is a future in New York. Carmelo Anthony is a star, Robin Lopez is one of the better two-way centers in the NBA, and Porzingis has, “Future star,” written all over him.

Porzingis may not be enough to convince Durant to sign on his own, but he’s an appealing part of the package.

Next: The Friendship

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