Last summer, the New York Knicks heavily invested in improving the roster. They acquired Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges at a steep cost. They also re-signed OG Anunoby.
However, Tom Thibodeau’s team appears to be one star-level player away from being the leading candidate to secure a championship. If New York’s front office is driven to raise a banner in Madison Square Garden, we may see the Knicks send some flirtatious glances toward Kevin Durant during the upcoming off-season.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Knicks are among a short list of Durant’s preferred destinations, should the Phoenix Suns decide to trade him.
“One thing to keep in mind, back at the NBA Trade Deadline in February, Minnesota, Miami, New York, San Antonio, and Houston were among the teams, I’m told, there was mutual interest between Durant and those teams,” Charania said. “I expect those teams and potentially others to be back in the fray this summer.”
Durant would immediately position the Knicks as the best roster in the NBA. The duo of Jalen Brunson and Towns has already proven to be elite. Finding a way to add a generational scoring talent such as Durant would only serve to improve the team’s chances of success.
Knicks Jalen Brunson Nearing a Return
According to an April 1 report from SNY’s Ian Begley, Brunson is nearing a return to the Knicks rotation.
“On the injury front, Jalen Brunson is still working his way back,” Begley said. “I think it’s a long shot for him to play at Cleveland…I think based on the trajectory and everything that’s gone on here, the weekend is a realistic landing spot for Brunson and his return – that Atlanta game, that Phoenix game…That’s the place where you’re looking for Brunson to be back on the court here. Sometime this weekend.”
Brunson has now missed 14 games for New York. His return will be a welcomed boost, especially in terms of giving the Knicks a go-to scorer in the clutch.
Mikal Bridges Trade Continues to Draw Criticism
On March 31, ESPN’s Zach Kram raised some questions regarding the impact Bridges has made since joining the Knicks from the Brooklyn Nets.
“Role players shouldn’t cost a handful of first-round picks,” Kram wrote. “It would be one thing if Bridges were the kind of role player who could push a fringe contender over the top…The Knicks rank 13th in defensive rating and have actually been worse with Bridges on the floor.”
Kram continued.
“Against top-10 offenses, the Knicks rank 19th in defensive rating, per Cleaning the Glass, the worst mark of any playoff-bound team…Ultimately, with an 0-7 record against the Cavaliers, Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder, the Knicks are clearly still below the top tier of contenders — and the haul they surrendered in the Bridges trade means they have few avenues left to keep improving.”
Bridges must prove himself during the postseason. Otherwise, if the Knicks do pursue a Durant deal, he could be one of the primary trade chips. After all, the Knicks are short on tradable assets due to the Bridges deal. If the front office sees Durant as the missing piece, they will find a way to make a trade work.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Knicks Land on Shortlist of Preferred Teams for Kevin Durant: Report appeared first on Heavy Sports.