NBA Rumors: Kevin Durant Could Be ‘Darling Of NBA Again’ If He Wins Title With Knicks, Per ‘Bleacher Report’
In the 2016 NBA offseason, Kevin Durant earned plenty of criticisms when he decided to sign with the Golden State Warriors. During that time, the Warriors finished the 2015-16 regular season with a historical 73-9 record. That proved to be one of the best decisions Durant made in his NBA career as he succeeded to win back-to-back NBA championship titles and has a very high chance of winning his third this season.
However, Kevin Durant will always be remembered as the player who took the easiest road to a championship. Durant has the ability to change the narrative when he becomes an unrestricted free agent once again next July. According to Maurice Robb of Bleacher Report, Durant could be the “darling of the NBA again” if he brings the New York Knicks back to the NBA Finals and takes home the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
“Zillgitt reported that Durant could head to the Knicks, and with good reason. Not only do they have the cap space, they have the cachet. If Durant were to bring New York back to prominence, he’d be the darling of the NBA again. The cherry on top is that he could be joined by his good friend Irving, and they could form the kind of superstar duo that could bring the Knicks back to relevance. And if the Knicks were to somehow be in a position to draft Zion Williamson, too? That would be perfect.”
Kevin Durant surprises kids in their hotel room with pizza delivery https://t.co/oIOt50mXZP pic.twitter.com/PUq1urhzog
— SFGATE (@SFGate) March 21, 2019
Helping one of the most storied franchises in the sports history return to prominence will undeniably be a good addition to Kevin Durant’s resume and could put him in the conversation as one of the greatest NBA players of all time. However, with the emergence of numerous superteams, the Knicks must be aware that Durant can’t do it all alone.
The Knicks may have failed to reach the Eastern Conference Playoffs for sixth consecutive years, but they have plenty of ways to get better next summer. After dumping the lucrative contracts of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee to the Dallas Mavericks before the February NBA trade deadline, the Knicks open up a huge chunk of their salary cap space to chase big names in the 2019 NBA free agency. Aside from Kevin Durant, there are rumors that Kyrie Irving is also interested in playing for the Knicks.
With their current standings, the Knicks have a strong chance of acquiring the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The Knicks could use the top selection to draft Zion Williamson or as the main trade chip to acquire Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans via trade.
