New York Knicks: The Kevin Durant noise will never simmer
Nothing will change on the New York Knicks’ front with Kevin Durant until July, but the future free agent’s chances of leaving the Golden State Warriors remains a topic of conversation.
It’s opening night for the NBA. The New York Knicks won’t play until Wednesday night, but all the talk of the 2018 offseason, training camp and preseason leads to the events of Tuesday, with games set to welcome everyone to the 2018-19 campaign.
However, there’s always an eye on the future. It could be one, two or three-plus years down the line, and teams want to set themselves up for the next big name to hit free agency.
Well, before games even tip-off, there’s already speculation on the future of one of the NBA’s biggest names, Kevin Durant, and it’s not the first time, either. According to ESPN’s Royce Young, “swelling noise” has developed for the nine-time All-Star’s departure from the Golden State Warriors.
"There has been swelling noise Durant could leave the Warriors next summer, with connected insiders dropping hints and close associates either backing them up, or not outright denying them. And speculation goes back even further: In the days following Durant’s departure from OKC, those close to him predicted the Warriors wouldn’t be his final career stop."
How does this impact the Knicks? It follows Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes, who said on FS1 that New York has a “very good shot at luring KD away.”
"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 pic.twitter.com/04xDGmLA2k
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) October 3, 2018
Eight and a half months still remain before free agency arrives, with a full season, postseason and draft still to follow. It’s a long journey towards a conclusion on this storyline, which may as well result in Durant’s decision to stay in Golden State.
For comparison, the noise between the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James increased in August 2017 after the Kyrie Irving trade. Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher spoke with league executives, all of whom said James leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers was inevitable and to expect a Laker arrival by July 2018.
10 months later, LeBron is a Laker.
That’s not to say this situation will mirror what happens with Durant. In fact, it already hasn’t.
If the former NBA MVP leaves the Warriors, he puts back-to-back championships in the rearview mirror, with the potential for a third consecutive title in June. James left a team that made the NBA Finals in four straight seasons, but only one won of them, and in 2016.
The Knicks have become the speculated team, but there’s no foregone conclusion that this connection comes to fruition. It seems more towards reading between the lines, if Durant’s comments in Young’s piece hold water.
Of course New York can receive a franchise-changing talent in 2019 and set their sights on a championship. It’s with a potentially-healthy Kristaps Porzingis and the hopeful rise of young talent that’s already in place.
The waive and stretch of Joakim Noah pushed the Knicks in this direction, as it opened more cap space for 2019. That’s along with waiting on Kristaps Porzingis’ extension, which saves them $10 million.
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Durant to New York is not cut and dry. It won’t be until that first report of him agreeing to an unknown amount of years and dollars, if it reaches this landmark point. A fun day for Knicks fans, sure, but nothing will change over the next eight months publicly.