Have to imagine they ?heard? that KD was coming, and at some point I?m sure Kyrie?s camp made it seem like there was interest... AD was sending NY love, and I believe they felt confident they could meet with Kawhi.
They had to be 100 percent adamant they were getting 1 of these 4... and I?m positive they understood that to get 1 of those 4, then they needed space to squeeze in another max spot.
Word is they offered the third pick, 1 of DAL?s first rounders, and their choice of either DSJ, Knits, Knox or Mitch... We can?t fault them for not pushing everything into the middle of the table (if that would?ve even made a difference).
Knicks have to hope AD doesn?t sign with LAK, and then they still have hope in 12 months...
To have even a glimmer of hope for that... YES... 100%... KD or KL must be a Knick.
Forget Kyrie, because Irving or Kemba was an option only as a Robyn to KD... There was no sense for Kemba or Kyrie without KD.
So, yeah... It?s all about KD, and did this life-changing happenstance change his mind?
Anyway, I hope plan-A all along was KD and KL... they were the two best. Get 1 and hope the other (or AD) sees our roster and KD as enough, and with them as the final piece, they come and take over NY.
If KD got spooked and opts-in and KL stays in TOR, the decision to stretch Noah and trade KP makes Mills and Perry look like idiots.
Good news is... there still hope bc with all these lottery picks, even by accident and led by incompetence... a slight chance 1
or 2 or even a few hit and we have something regardless.
But NO passed on our assets, and if AD, KL, and KD do to... then we are in a dark place, are behind the odds, and will pretty much be at the mercy of RJ and Mitch.
(And, BTW, RJ and MRob working the high pick and roll, with Knox in the corner... that?s gonna be fun).
Did NO like the youth from LA that much or was it more they weren?t high on the potential of RJ?