Durant in Porzingis

mafra

Legend
(Theknicksblog.com)

A free agent next season, Kevin Durant will be highly sought after.

Could Kristaps Porzingis be the key to Durant landing in NYC?

Durant said he texted former teammate and current Knicks head coach Derek Fisher after New York drafted Porzingis.

"When they made the pick, I texted Fisher immediately and I said I liked the pick," Durant said, according to the Washington Post (Jan. 25). "A lot of people were down on him, but he can play. I've seen it, you've seen it ? he's a skilled guy."

Durant is in New York to take on the Knicks on Tuesday, one of the many teams he will likely be pursued by this offseason. With Carmelo Anthony leading the team, Porzingis stills stands out to Durant on the team.

"I think we've gotten away from enjoying the skilled players in this league. We've got so many guys that are athletic, and big and strong, but he's a skilled player. He can shoot, he can make the right plays, he can defend, he's a 7-footer that can shoot all the way out to the three-point line. That's rare. And block shots ? that's, like, a unicorn in this league. You've got to respect what he's doing.

"This being New York City, everything is under a microscope, but he's progressing at a high rate pretty fast, and he's gonna be a force."

Carmelo is doing his part in recruiting, too.

"I have to talk to him and see where he's at. I know him as a person," Anthony said of Durant (Jan. 25). "I have my conversations with people. We break bread and we talk."

Keith Schlosser, SNY.TV Twitter | Archive

As everyone looks ahead to the summer of 2016 and Durant's impending free agency, plenty of factors have been identified as potential positives when it comes to him looking at the Knicks. New York employs a current star in Anthony and a quickly budding one in Porzingis. They'll have roster flexibility next summer to make a move if so desired. Phil Jackson's reputation speaks for itself as he runs the show, and Durant's former teammate Derek Fisher currently sits as head coach. Toss in Lance Thomas, assistant coach Brian Keefe, and the list goes on.

People love speculation, but doubt, not so much. How likely is it that the Knicks are a viable option? Playing in New York may be appealing for a superstar like Durant, but making a splash under the bright lights of the Big Apple (and the fear of potential failure and subsequent scrutiny) might not be. The fact of the matter is, he has a very comfortable situation in Oklahoma City with Russell Westbrook and the third-seed Thunder, who coincidentally have the third best record in all of the NBA. He's had relative success there, and the team has a very talented and balanced roster as it is.

The Knicks are getting there, but would probably need to change things up even further (their depth will suffer) if they aim to add Durant. It may not be worth his while, not just to entertain New York as a potential destination, but to leave the Thunder at all. If a championship is what he lacks for greatness, one wouldn't be naive to bet the opportunity is still there to obtain it quicker with Westbrook and Co. in OKC.
 
Here's my opinion on Durant. First and foremost, I think we have no chance in attracting Durant to New York, but more importantly, I don't think we should try to attract Durant to New York. He is an amazing player, but so long as we are tied to Melo and now Porzingis, we need a stud, two-way backcourt player to make us anything more than a middling team.

You could argue that a frontcourt of Melo, Durant, and Porzingis would make a star backcourt player want to come here, but I have no idea how we'd make any of that work in a realistic salary cap scenario.
 

Tkf

Benchwarmer
Here's my opinion on Durant. First and foremost, I think we have no chance in attracting Durant to New York, but more importantly, I don't think we should try to attract Durant to New York. He is an amazing player, but so long as we are tied to Melo and now Porzingis, we need a stud, two-way backcourt player to make us anything more than a middling team.

You could argue that a frontcourt of Melo, Durant, and Porzingis would make a star backcourt player want to come here, but I have no idea how we'd make any of that work in a realistic salary cap scenario.

I agree with you , Durant is not coming here. Everyone takes a little quote and run with it.. well Durant is in NY, so the papers are running wild.

Durant has said a lot of nice things about a lot of young players. It is the politically correct thing to do in the NBA it seems. guys tend not to bad mouth, but will also tend to go above and beyond with praise..

Classic example I was watching the pacers game the other night and the announcers were going bonkers over myles Turner, who I think is going to probably be one of the best if not the best big in this draft... and they were full of praise.

So no need to take Durants comments towards the knicks or any of its players and run with it.

as far as the knicks need, they need another quality big and two backcourt players.. but honestly, they pretty much wasted this year with Grant, he should have been playing since day 1, he is a 23 year old rookie, time to see what you have in him is now.. we already know what calderon is...
 

Broadway

All Star
I agree with you , Durant is not coming here. Everyone takes a little quote and run with it.. well Durant is in NY, so the papers are running wild.

Durant has said a lot of nice things about a lot of young players. It is the politically correct thing to do in the NBA it seems. guys tend not to bad mouth, but will also tend to go above and beyond with praise..

Classic example I was watching the pacers game the other night and the announcers were going bonkers over myles Turner, who I think is going to probably be one of the best if not the best big in this draft... and they were full of praise.

So no need to take Durants comments towards the knicks or any of its players and run with it.

as far as the knicks need, they need another quality big and two backcourt players.. but honestly, they pretty much wasted this year with Grant, he should have been playing since day 1, he is a 23 year old rookie, time to see what you have in him is now.. we already know what calderon is...


Durant called Karl Anthony Towns a future HOF like 3 weeks ago, plus Towns interviewed him on several occasions as a kid before coming into the league. So if I'm connecting the dots here smart money says Durant lands in Minnesota if he leaves OKC. I could be very wrong though.

Backcourt help?

There's still hope too that Dragic could end up here, he so much as said he might when he was in Phx. He's not playing well for Miami, maybe we can send Galloway and Calderon and help Miami get from under his contract?
 

tiger0330

Legend
Players do move to other teams because of other players. T-Mac signed with Houston saying he wanted the chance to play with a legit big man in Yao Ming. It probably is hype that Durant would come to NY, he's never actually said he'd like to play in NY just that he thinks Porzingis is going to be a good player. But if by the playoffs, KP6 is putting up 20/10 and the Knicks make the playoffs maybe he thinks NY with KP6, Melo and Fisher is a not a bad destination.

Cap space would be a problem but the Knicks should try to move heaven and earth to bring him to NY if he expresses an interest in the Knicks. People question his fit with Melo but I think the Knicks could make it work with both on the floor at the same time, with those two I think you could get by with a lesser PG talent like Calderon.
 

Broadway

All Star
Durant is staying in OKC or possibly going back home DC. He's not coming here and we need to stop doing this every in season. How many legit stars have come to New York via free agency?
 

Tkf

Benchwarmer
Durant called Karl Anthony Towns a future HOF like 3 weeks ago, plus Towns interviewed him on several occasions as a kid before coming into the league. So if I'm connecting the dots here smart money says Durant lands in Minnesota if he leaves OKC. I could be very wrong though.

Backcourt help?

There's still hope too that Dragic could end up here, he so much as said he might when he was in Phx. He's not playing well for Miami, maybe we can send Galloway and Calderon and help Miami get from under his contract?


LOL with Towns interviewing durant as a kid.. haha..

Dragic? yuck... lol
 
I guess the real question regarding Durant is what team, if any, could fit him in under the salary cap and assemble a team that is a legit championship contender. It's funny, but I bet if Lebron was still in Miami, Pat Riley would have somehow teed things up to add Durant to their team. Not sure any other GMs have shown they can make that kind of free agency power play. In lieu of that happening, I think Durant stays in OKC unless he is certain they will never be able to add another piece to put them over the top.

As far as the Knicks, I think we'd need another blue chip piece before Durant would see us as a team he could put over the top. Even then, there are not many star players who really want the weight of NYC on their back.
 
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