After seeing Kevin Durant’s calf vibrate with what looked like a torn Achilles tendon, the New York Knicks fan base once again fell into despair. The emotions of a potential super-star coming to the Big Apple have been overwhelming as of late, but the injury to Durant shouldn’t stop us from seeing those feelings to reality.
With $73 million in cap space, enough to bring in two max-contract players, the Knicks are in a good position heading into the offseason. There are plenty of quality players to choose from, despite Durant being the most sought after of the bunch.
The pursuance of him will continue, as an Achilles tear isn’t as significant as it once was. It generally requires a 30-minute surgery that demands 4-6 months of recovery time. While the tendon may never return to full strength, Durant on a hobbled leg is still better than a majority of players.
If only the Golden State Warriors shut him down in hopes of winning a game down 3-1 in the series without him. Durant likely was the reason they won their most recent game, crawling back to 3-2. Unfortunately, they will have to push forward without him.
What do the New York Knicks do now?
As for the Knicks, players like Kemba Walker, Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, and Kawhi Leonard all present opportunity. Personally, I’m against the idea of trading for Davis, as it would require the Knicks to give up the 3rd overall pick in the 2019 draft and multiple young talents.
AD simply isn’t worth the price-tag, especially since they would have little depth left on the team and would need to utilize the rest of their money to build around Davis. The reality of a potential deal is this – the Knicks have to decide whether they want to establish around Davis or stay on the current path they’re on and instill confidence in their youth.
The vote should be simple — Mitchell Robinson, Kevin Knox, RJ Barrett potentially, Allonzo Trier, Damyeon Dotson…all of these players represent the future of Knicks basketball.