The New York Knicks dodged a bullet.
They gambled that Kevin Durant would not end up coming to the Eastern Conference, and their gamble paid off when he landed with the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference. Unfortunately, the summer of chaos is only beginning, and they are still vulnerable to the changing tides of NBA stars.
Kevin Durant ground trade talks to a halt back in February, when the Phoenix Suns first decided to trade the future Hall of Fame forward. He was initially not involved in trade discussions and so his camp quickly made it known that he did not want to be traded during the season. The Suns could still have traded him, of course, but that move cooled the market enough that he stayed with the team until now.
This time around, the Suns decided to work closely with Durant and his camp to find a new home. KD reportedly listed four teams that he would like to end up with: the Houston Rockets, who ultimately traded for him; the San Antonio Spurs; the Miami Heat; and the New York Knicks.
The Knicks passed on Kevin Durant
The Knicks immediately made it known they had no interest in a Kevin Durant trade. They have a well-balanced lineup and Durant would potentially not be a seamless fit -- both because of his age and injury history, but also because he makes so much the Knicks would have to either trade Karl-Anthony Towns, giving them a massive hole at center, or two of their wings -- giving them a massive hole on the wing.
The reasons to pass are understandable, but the consequence of saying no to Kevin Durant is that it opened the pathway for another Eastern Conference team to trade for him. The Knicks made it to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, but they lack a Top 10 player in the league (Jalen Brunson is certainly close) and don't have the depth to maintain a contender year after year.
The Knicks are benefiting from the relatively weak top of the East playoff picture, one where only the Boston Celtics have a clear-cut Top 10 player -- and he will likely miss all of next season due to an Achilles tear. Other than Jayson Tatum, you can construct a list of the Top 10 players in the league and eight of them are in the West (Giannis Antetokounmpo is unlikely to be contending with the Milwaukee Bucks anytime soon).
If Kevin Durant landed with an East team good enough to make a run -- your mileage may vary on whether the Miami Heat fit that category, but they are certainly a strong organization with intriguing pieces to put around Durant -- the Knicks would have that much more difficulty returning to the East Finals or even advancing to the NBA Finals.
The fact that he ended up in Houston doesn't change the fact that the other East teams are hunting - and more stars may be on the move.
Perhaps it's Antetokounmpo being traded to another team in the Eastern Conference. Perhaps the Philadelphia 76ers use Paul George's salary to make a run at a star player. Desmond Bane just came East, and while he is not a Top-15 or 20 player it's for sure the Knicks don't want to see the new-look Orlando Magic in the playoffs. Could the Detroit Pistons pull something off?
The Knicks have very little flexibility and very little depth. That combination requires them to essnetially have a perfect run through the playoffs -- good health, wild comebacks, lucky breaks. The Knicks got all of those this year.
They may not next time around. And without increased star power themselves and with other teams looking to upgrade, their time at the top of the East may be short-lived indeed.