As the Golden State Warriors continue to cruise along in the 2019 postseason without star forward Kevin Durant, the national debate over where he'll play next has intensified.
In Sunday's episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, Simmons predicted that the New York Knicks will sign Durant. And this isn't exactly new. Despite having the NBA's worst winning percentage over the last 20 seasons, there still seems to be some lore surrounding Madison Square Garden. And it's maybe even reached the point where the ineptitude adds to the narrative. Now, the talking point goes something like this: "Imagine being the player who saved the Knicks!"
Are Durant and his business partner and New Yorker Rich Kleiman already envisioning KD as that savior?
Las Vegas appears to agree with Simmons and thinks they are.
As of May 20, here are the odds for who will sign Durant this summer, according to MyBookie:
- New York Knicks (-150)
- Golden State Warriors (+100)
- The Field (+300)
- Brooklyn Nets (+400)
- Los Angeles Clippers (+400)
- Los Angeles Lakers (+400)
The more success Golden State has without KD, the more it feels like this is the end of that relationship. It's not that things are broken there, but Durant does seem to be chasing some sort of legacy play he'll just never achieve with the Warriors. Despite winning each of the last two Finals MVPs, runs like the one the Warriors are currently on always serve as reminders that this is Stephen Curry's team.
Here's just a small sampling of some of the "Warriors without Durant" takes over the last few days.
"The Warriors are better without Durant," CBS' Seth Davis tweeted. "Discuss!"
"This is NOT a slight of Durant, but if the Warriors lost Draymond [Green], they'd be in much worse shape than they are now without Durant," The Athletic's Tim Kawakami wrote.
"How many games in a row do Warriors have to win for people to say they’re better without Durant?" Andrew Perloff of The Dan Patrick Show asked. "Is there no number?"
Even Durant himself chimed in on all this on Instagram. In a now-deleted response, Durant called a fan "divisive" after he suggested that people should stop doubting Curry, Green and Klay Thompson. If we weren't already sure about KD knowing this narrative exists, he confirmed it with that reply.
So, if we assume that Durant does not re-sign with the Warriors, a team he's already won two titles with, are the Knicks the best fit?
According to RealGM, New York has the potential to get to $80.1 million in cap space. Their projected cap space is $71.3 million. Obviously, that's enough to fit Durant's max annual salary, which will start at just under $40 million (with over 10 years of service, Durant can command 35% of the projected $109 million cap). That gives New York enough wiggle room to sign Kyrie Irving or Kemba Walker. Max contracts for those two will start around $33 million per year.
Are the Knicks instant contenders with Durant, one of those point guards and R.J. Barrett (who New York can take with the No. 3 pick)? Some are still speculating that they might be able to move that pick and whatever salary filler they have left for Anthony Davis, but even in article based entirely on a long shot, that reach seems too far.
If the primary pieces are Durant and Kyrie/Kemba, that's a top duo that should be able to make some waves in the East. The Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics all figure to be good again next season, but Durant would instantly compete with Giannis Antetokounmpo for best player in the conference. Kyrie or Kemba would both be better as No. 2s than they were as No. 1s. All the defensive attention Durant commands would mean far more open looks for either potential counterpart.
But even if contention isn't a given with the Knicks, this is ultimately about legacy for Durant. Titles are almost a foregone conclusion if he stays with the Warriors. A title with the Knicks? Bringing one of the most storied franchises back to the top of the league after decades of losing and 50 years since their last title?
Much like LeBron James' lone title with the Cleveland Cavaliers, there's a chance a single championship for New York could carry as much legacy cachet as several more for the bay.
Unless otherwise noted, stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference, Cleaning the Glass or ESPN.
