Kevin Durant has a key decision about his future this offseason.
At the trade deadline, Kevin Durant had the opportunity to leave the Phoenix Suns. The Golden State Warriors even believed they agreed to the deal.
Durant chose to stick, but Brian Windhorst claims there is a 98% chance of leaving Phoenix this offseason.
Among the teams being promoted to trade for him is the New York Knicks, a team he previously refused to join.
Even before Achilles’ injury in 2019, Kevin Durant was fishing towards leaving the Warriors.
He ultimately did so, and despite concerns about the injury, there was a scramble for his service.
The Knicks were eager to win Durant and add a major star to the roster they could build.
Instead, he became Brooklynnette as part of the Big Three, along with James Harden and Kyrie Irving. However, the injury denied the opportunity for the trio to reach their potential together.
Just as Durant was drawn to the Nets project, he was also turned off by the Knicks’ condition at the time.
He was quoted in SI. “The brand was cool, but back then, I didn’t see any cool brands other than games.
“I was watching the team, but (the Knicks) wasn’t cool to play. The team wasn’t cool to watch. It wasn’t a good team to watch.”
A lot has changed since then. The New York Knicks have made it to the playoffs for four of the past five years. And this season they reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years.
Their ambitions couldn’t be high. Despite all this, they fired head coach Tom Thibodeau and expressed their desire to continue improving. Adding Durant could be part of this.
In 2024, Durant was quoted from the New York Post. “The Knicks weren’t cool, but they’re a cool brand. They’re pop now.
This shows that Durant is paying close attention to the Knicks’ improvements on the court, indicating that they believe there is a team that matches their reputation.
The last 12 months have only facilitated New York’s upward trajectory, and unlike 2019, the Knicks could be seriously considered, as Durant is expected to make another, and perhaps the last, decision to switch teams.