Kevin Durant and his Agent had some interesting things to say about the Knicks in their recent interview. Should the Knicks pursue Durant again in the near future?
It’s been nearly five years since Kevin Durant spurned the Knicks in free agency and signed with the Brooklyn Nets instead. At the time, the Knicks weren’t “ cool enough” for Durant to join them while the Nets had better organizational structure.
Now, over the past couple of years, the Knicks have grown to have good organizational structure while also being a competitive playoff team. On the other hand, Brooklyn has fallen apart since Durant’s departure. In a recent interview with his agent, Durant talked about his “ not cool enough” comment while also acknowledging the uprising of the Knicks franchise.
In the interview, Durant also revealed that his agent and members of his family wanted him to join the Knicks during that free agency period.
Currently, if the Knicks wanted to pursue Durant via trade, they would have the attractive assets that can potentially get a deal done. Plus, even though Durant has stated that he’s happy in Phoenix, things can change if the Suns don’t win a championship in the near future. In the end, even though these two points might be valid, I would stay far away from a Kevin Durant trade if I were the Knicks.
A Young Man’s Game
Kevin Durant’s production speaks for itself. He’s still one of the best players in the NBA and remains an unstoppable force on the offensive end. In the 48 games he’s played for the Suns this season, Durant is averaging 28.2 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and 5.7 APG while shooting 53.8 % from the field and 44.3 % from behind the arc. This production is something that the Knicks have been craving for but there’s one glaring issue that can’t be ignored. He’s 35 years old.
As we all know, the Knicks have made the mistake of adding aging stars to the team that didn’t work out in the long run. Even though Kevin Durant is still at the apex of his career, how much longer will it last? Also, since the Knicks definitely aren’t acquiring Durant now, they will likely get him at an even older age, which doesn’t fit with the trajectory of this young Knicks team. Furthermore, if the Knicks wanted to pursue Durant, it would likely have to be via trade, due to the fact that the Sun’s are probably not going to let Durant walk once his contract is up in 2026. This means that the Knicks will have to give away a lot of assets to acquire an aging Kevin Durant, which wouldn’t be a smart move if you ask me.
Ultimately, The Knicks have a good young core and valuable draft picks. If you are going to trade for a star, make sure he’s young or close to entering the prime of his career. Players like Luka Doncic or Anthony Edwards should be on the Knicks trade target list. Durant just doesn’t fit the bill for the future.
A Prideful Stance
If I’m a part of the Knicks organization, why would I pursue Kevin Durant again if he rejected us the first go around? Plus, not only did he reject us, but he went right across the bridge to join the rival team. I think the Knicks should display some level of pride and just show Durant that he chose the wrong team. As presently constructed, with the team and draft capital the Knicks have set in place, it wouldn’t make sense to throw that all away to acquire someone that turned you down the first time. Show him why the Knicks are “cool enough”.
At the end of the day, The Knicks are in a position to do something great. They don’t need Kevin Durant to achieve that greatness. As long as the Knicks continue to build the way they have over the past few years, they will have a bright future. Let’s not enter the Durant sweepstakes again. It wouldn’t be worth it.
Notable Weekend Matchup
Knicks vs Celtics @Madison Square Garden on Saturday 2/24 8:30pm ET
