NBA Rumors: Knicks Could Form ‘Big Three’ Of Durant, Irving, And Davis Next Summer, Per ‘Bleacher Report’
Without a legitimate NBA superstar on their roster, the New York Knicks once again suffered a huge disappointment in the 2018-19 NBA season, missing the Eastern Conference Playoffs for the sixth straight year. However, the Knicks are very optimistic that they won’t remain at the bottom of the league for long. When the season is officially over, the Knicks revealed their plan to build a roster that can legitimately contend for the NBA championship title.
The Knicks have plenty of ways to improve their roster in the 2019 NBA offseason. They have enough salary cap space to chase at least two big names on the free agency market and a plethora of trade assets to engage in a blockbuster deal. According to Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report, the Knicks have a realistic chance of forming a “Big Three” of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Anthony Davis next summer.
As Swartz noted, the Knicks could “jumpstart” their dream plan by trading for Anthony Davis. In the proposed trade deal by Bleacher Report, the Knicks would be sending a trade package including Kevin Knox, Frank Ntilikina, Dennis Smith Jr., and the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Davis. The successful acquisition of Davis will give the Knicks a better chance of signing both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in the 2019 NBA free agency.
However, to further convince them to leave their respective teams, Swartz suggested that the Knicks will be needing to offer both superstars a max contract. Kevin Durant’s max deal will be four-years, $164 million, while Kyrie Irving could earn as high as $141 million over the next four years.
“The Knicks could jumpstart this process with a trade for Davis. With the No. 3 overall pick as the centerpiece of this deal, the Pelicans would have a nice rebuilding core featuring Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett, Knox, Smith, Ntilikina and whatever else they demand from the Knicks. If Durant and Irving were leaning towards the Knicks to begin with, the opportunity to play with Davis would all but force them to put pen to paper. Not only would they become the favorites to win the East, but they may become the Finals favorite with the Warriors losing Durant in the process.”
Kevin Durant's agent says Durant doesn't even know where he'll play next season. https://t.co/n6dudBgBfE
— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) May 22, 2019
Acquiring very talented players like Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving in one fell swoop may just be a pipe dream to some NBA teams, but the Knicks have a strong chance of turning it into a reality next summer. The “Big Three” of Davis, Durant, and Irving will not only help the Knicks return to the top of the Eastern Conference but it will also make them one of the top favorites to win the 2020 NBA championship title.
