NBA Rumors: ‘Nobody’s Going To The Knicks,’ Andre Iguodala Says On CNBC
With NBA free agency about to get underway next Sunday, a lot of eyes are on Kevin Durant, the two-time NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors who was injured during the NBA Finals, but is still expected to sign a sizable contract when he reaches free agency, either with the Warriors or another team.
While speculation for much of the last year has centered on Durant, along with other top free agents, signing with the New York Knicks, one NBA voice is skeptical that Durant will make that choice- or that anyone else will, either.
Andre Iguodala, the NBA veteran who has been a teammate of Durant during his three-year Warriors tenure, appeared on CNBC’s Power Lunch Monday and talked about the NBA free agency market.
First, Iguodala said that he believes both Durant and Klay Thompson will return to the Warriors.
“We’re like brothers, we keep in contact,” he said. “But regardless of any of that, if both did decide to leave, they would still be my brother, I’d still keep in contact with them.”
When one of the hosts said that the player was “crushing the Knicks fans,” Iguodala replied, “nobody’s going to the Knicks, sorry.”
There’s a strong possibility that Iguodala is right, as none of the major free agents appear likely to choose New York. Per Bleacher Report, the Brooklyn Nets are now the favorite to sign Durant, echoing comments by Durant’s former teammate, Kendrick Perkins, that the Nets are the favorite to bring in the star forward. The Nets are also seen as having a strong chance to land Kyrie Irving. Kawhi Leonard is said to be choosing between staying with the Toronto Raptors and jumping to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Report: Knicks will roll over cap space if they don’t sign Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard https://t.co/awBxGXTKOM
— Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk) June 24, 2019
Ric Bucher, meanwhile, reported, also for Bleacher Report, that Durant and Irving have been plotting for weeks to sign with the same team, even having multiple meetings with one another.
What will the Knicks do if they can’t land any of the top free agents? According to a report in The New York Daily News, the team will “punt their $70 million-plus in cap space” if they can’t land Leonard, Irving, or Durant.
New York would then sign players to one-year deals like the Los Angeles Lakers did last year, and aim to make a big splash next offseason instead. A year from now, the top expected free agents include DeMar DeRozan and Draymond Green. Anthony Davis is also nominally a free agent, but is expected to sign an extension at some point with the Lakers.
