Phil Jackson and the New York Knicks are trying to do whatever they can to change the fortunes of the franchise around. They made a trade for former MVP and All-star Derrick Rose, trading away Robin Lopez and Jose Calderon, with promises of bring Kevin Durant in this offseason. The number one free agent this offseason, Durant will be busy when July 1st comes around. He has already set up meeting with the Warriors, Spurs and his home team the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Knicks were previously said to not be in contention for Durant but with the recent acquisition of Rose, their hoping their luck will change.
According to Ian Begley of ESPN, the Knicks have not scheduled a meeting with the former MVP yet, but are hoping that with Derrick Rose, they can bring him in for a sit down:
No meeting has been scheduled – or agreed to – between the Knicks and Kevin Durant at this point, sources say. The Knicks are optimistic that they’ll ultimately get consideration from Durant but they were not among the initial group of teams with whom Durant agreed to meet. The Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder are the first known teams to secure a meeting with Durant, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein. Durant’s ties to the Knicks include his strong relationship with Carmelo Anthony and the relationship between his agent, Rich Kleiman of Roc Nation Sports, and Knicks GM Steve Mills. Still, given that New York is not among the first group of teams with whom Durant has agreed to meet, it seems as if the club faces long odds to sign him.
With Durant seeking a max contract from any teams that are interested, the Knicks will have to size up a ton of money for Durant. With the salary cap expected to rise to $94 million, you can expect that Durant will get huge offers from any team he is interested in. The Knicks seem like a long shot right now, but they will end up getting a meeting from Durant.
