The NBA offseason (and to some extent the regular season preceding it) will be all about Kevin Durant. The Oklahoma City Thunder small forward is the sole superstar on the open market and rumors of his decision come summer-time run rampant.
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks continue to slide and are seemingly starting to put their focus on the summer. On Monday, even Carmelo Anthony got in on the action, stating that he wanted to be included in pitch meetings while also claiming he would attempt to recruit point guard Rajon Rondo.
Durant is very likely another Knicks target as the biggest fish in the free agency market. However, according to the New York Daily News, Durant is not considering New York as a legitimate landing spot should he leave the Thunder:
Forget that the Knicks have an unresolved situation at coach, they’ll also need to get creative with the roster just to free up enough cap space for a max free agent. A source told The News that the biggest fish in the summer pond, Kevin Durant, does not consider the Knicks as a destination.
This should not be surprising, of course. If Durant does leave, he would want to join a team with a chance to win right away. The Knicks are not in that position. They are bereft of talent, draft picks, cap space, and coaching. It would be incredibly surprising if Durant actually did choose to sign with them.
Instead, the Knicks should shift their focus on second and third tier free agents to improve the team step by step and entice superstars to join them. The team had a strong start to the season so the potential is there. But whatever the Knicks ultimately end up accomplishing this offseason will likely not include Kevin Durant.
