ESPN Predicts 24.2% Chance Kevin Durant Joins The Knicks In 2019

The New York Knicks will have room for one max-contract in 2019, but it will take some serious restructuring to afford Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant. Bringing in one of the best players of this generation will cost a pretty penny, but the thought of Durant teaming up with Kristaps Porzingis and a young Kevin Knox might just be worth it.

Durant is currently earning a staggering $27 million per season. His contract is worth $54.2 million over two years. Bringing him to New York would not only help the team, but it would probably boost the economy of the entire city. Having a superstar and a rising Porzingis could be the change that helps shift the narrative from good to bad for a success starved organization.

ESPN’s Max Kellerman breaks down the influence of the Warriors’ star, and if coming to the Knicks is a real possibility:

Kellerman seems to think that if Durant was on the Knicks currently, they wouldn’t be considered the best team in the East, and to be quite honest, he’s right. It will take time for the players to mesh, and for Knox to develop into a serviceable player on both sides of the court.

When Durant joined the Warriors, the roster wasn’t made up of optimistic starlets, but rather veteran players. His presence only elevated the rest, while players like Knox and Mitchell Robinson might not understand how to utilize a talent like Durant’s on the court.

Now, what I don’t agree with is the insinuation that the Knicks wouldn’t be all that great in general. I believe it would take about half the season for the team to gain the momentum it needs to begin making a playoff push. When you have a player like Durant on your team, you feed him the ball at every opportunity, and if he’s not there, you let your second best player in Porzingis take the reigns.

If the Knicks do decide to make a push for Kevin, we will be looking at a whole different ball game in the Mecca for years to come.