New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony will be teammates with Kevin Durant on Team USA in 2016. Anthony has already begun recruiting Durant to New York.
The New York Knicks aren’t basing the success or failure of the 2016 offseason on whether or not Phil Jackson can sign Kevin Durant. For that matter, the Knicks shouldn’t base the success or failure of the front office on whether or not it can sign Durant.
It simply cannot be overstated how monumental an achievement it would be for the Knicks to complete what would be the most significant signing in franchise history.
Durant is one of the most decorated players in NBA history, let alone the current era. Thus, it comes as no surprise that New York has interest in signing a player who would immediately elevate it to championship contention.
Per Ian Begley of ESPN New York, Carmelo Anthony publicly admitted that he’s already begun recruiting Durant to the Knicks.
"”I’m with KD now; he’s right downstairs,” Anthony told ESPN in an interview that will air later Monday on SportsCenter. “We’ve been together. We’ve been talking.I do consider myself part of the Knicks,” Anthony continued, “so that meeting has already taken place.”"
It’s all hands on deck.
Anthony and Durant are the two most accomplished stars on Team USA. The roster is flush with talent, but it consists of players who hadn’t surfaced on the NBA’s star spectrum until the past three or four seasons.
Thus, while Anthony may have his critics, it stands to reason that he has the best opportunity of any Team USA player to convince Durant to join forces with him in the NBA.
For the Knicks, what’s far more important than what happens on the court in Rio is what’s already begun to transpire off of it. Durant and Anthony have been close for years, forming a friendship that goes much deeper than basketball.
Anthony acknowledged as much when he met with reporters, per Begley.
"“We’re friends. We hang out,” Anthony said. “It’s magnified now because he’s a free agent and we’re in New York. But last year nobody was talking about us hanging out, going to work out or going to dinner or things like that. So, yeah, those conversations do come up, but it’s not something that I’m constantly on him, throwing at him, because i was in that situation before.””You know, for me, it’s more just about just laying it all out for him,” Anthony said, “giving him the real.”"
In other words, Anthony recruiting Durant isn’t going to be an all-out attack; it’s going to be an honest discussion between two genuine friends.
Durant’s resume includes the 2014 NBA MVP award, four scoring titles, and five All-NBA First Team selections. The only other players in NBA history who have achieved what Durant has are Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan.
Thus, it’s hardly surprising that Anthony is as focused as he is on bringing his friend to The Mecca.
Due to Durant’s high-profile status, friendship with Anthony, and desire to win an championship, it’s easy to draw parallels to the Miami Heat in 2010. If Kristaps Porzingis is a younger Chris Bosh, then Anthony is Dwyane Wade, Durant is LeBron James, and Jackson is Pat Riley.
Derrick Rose is the ultimate wildcard as both a star-caliber talent and a friend of Durant’s.
The question is, can Anthony and Jackson seal the deal with Durant like Wade and Riley did with James? There’s no guaranteeing anything in the NBA, but it’s hard to rule New York out as a viable option.
must read: Five reasons Kevin Durant could sign with the New York Knicks
It’d be silly to expect Durant to sign with the Knicks, but dismissing it as a possibility would be premature and ignorant to the reality of this situation.