As always in the NBA, trade deadline season means some outrageous rumors will spread. Fans, media, and players alike all want to see change around the league. Stars hear whispers of being moved, and fans fantasize about those players somehow joining their favorite team. Those crazy dreams have actually come to fruition so far, with several spicy trades already made.
Luka Dončić was unceremoniously dealt to the Lakers for Anthony Davis, De’Aaron Fox is Victor Wembanyama‘s new running mate, and Kyle Kuzma was traded for Khris Middleton. The latest noise surrounds the 36-year-old superstar, Kevin Durant. Many in the industry believe he will be moved in the next day. Several teams have been rumored as potential destinations, including the Warriors, Mavericks, and Knicks.
Knicks Shouldn’t Consider Kevin Durant Trade
While extremely unlikely, there are whispers about New York’s interest in the NBA legend. They have the salaries to match Durant’s $51.2M contract, they have great trade assets to send Phoenix. Furthermore, they’re a win-now contender that fits KD’s timeline. New York is also a big market and an iconic franchise. We know Durant cares much about his place in NBA history, and nothing would be more historical than finishing his career winning with the beleaguered Knicks organization. He even fits perfectly next to Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, as he can play on and off the ball, slotting in between them on the wing.
KD Would Disrupt New York’s Progress
With all of that said, however, the Knicks should not consider a Durant trade, for a multitude of reasons. Firstly, while the Knicks fit Durant’s timeline, he doesn’t fit theirs. Leon Rose has positioned this core to compete for championships for the next half-decade, and KD is 36 years old. While he’s still playing at an extremely high level, Durant is bound to decline significantly in the next few seasons and will demand a massive contract after next season. He’s also fairly injury-prone at this stage of his career.
Additionally, New York is in such a great groove right now as a franchise that it would be silly to disrupt. Rose has made so many incredible moves in the past five years to get the Knicks to this position. NY has their head coach, five starters on affordable deals, and several bench guys they love. There’s no reason to shake the snow globe, even if it would raise their ceiling this season.
A Durant trade would likely require Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, and Mitchell Robinson, as well as several draft picks. Getting two to three years of prime Durant on a max contract is nowhere near worth sacrificing all of the team’s future and identity. You’d be gutting the rest of their draft assets and disrupting the culture of the organization, which is finally in a good place after 20 years of dysfunction. Under no circumstances should New York consider this deal.
Durant Shunned New York Many Times Before
I laid out all of the basketball reasons the Knicks shouldn’t get in the Kevin Durant business. Yes, those are the main reasons why they should stay away, but there’s also the New York City reason. While some fans would love to watch an all-time legend put on Knicks threads, many others would be frustrated giving up their beloved franchise cornerstones for a guy who dissed the Knicks repeatedly over the past five years. We’ve seen in the aftermath of the Dončić trade the disrespect an alienated fanbase can feel. This isn’t nearly the same thing, but the concept still applies.
Durant famously spurned the Knicks in the summer of 2019. He and Kyrie Irving chose the Brooklyn Nets in free agency despite being linked to NYK for years. Not only did he go to the less-popular Nets, a direct slap in the face to Knicks fans, but he rubbed it in with comments about how the Knicks “weren’t cool” and no one wanted to go there anymore. While Durant was right at the time, many Knicks fans took pride in his unsuccessful Nets tenure.
Missing on Durant and Irving in 2019 and landing Julius Randle as a “consolation prize” turned out to be one of the luckiest breaks in franchise history. Six years later, the Knicks are elite contenders with a bright future, while Durant has won just two playoff series. Now he’s stuck in the wilderness, and New York shouldn’t be the one to throw him a lifeline.
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