 Why Kevin Durant will sign with the New York Knicks in the 2019 free agency. As we know, the Knicks will have plenty of cap space to get not only one superstar but two. The names that should be at the top of their list could be Reality, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Now I know that Durant has acted to the media in recent times about any news towards the Knicks and free agency and if you haven't seen the clip here it is. What this tells me is that number one he's clearly over the free agency talk and discussions and what just wants to focus on basketball which is understandable. But it still doesn't change the fact that he will be a free agent this summer and it also doesn't change the fact that he hasn't given many hints to staying with the Warriors whereas his teammate and other free agent on the market Clay Thompson has. If you're Kevin Durant you've finished this season out with the Warriors with a huge chance to have three NBA championships. If he does win this third NBA championship that is as many as LeBron James and is also as many as Michael Jordan at the same age but let's be honest here, KD's NBA championships will not have the value that Jordan and even LeBron James had. When you look back on his career and dissect it he needs to have at least another NBA championship and probably more outside of Golden State if he truly wants to be a top 5 player of all time or even top 10 which despite if you liked Durant or not he is that good to be a top player in NBA history. So Durant can opt out of his 2 year deal next summer and recent reports and traits suggest that the Knicks are planning around him as well as another superstar. Let's be honest here, the Warriors are a matter of when and not if because they will inevitably win another NBA title this season. After adding Boogie cousins to form a Western Conference All-Star starting lineup they I have I'd say a 90% chance of making it and an 80% chance of winning it all this season. In my opinion, either way let's say they do win another and 3 Pete Durant may want to take his talents elsewhere and more importantly as requested by KD many times with quotes such as I am thinking about the money, I never got the massive deal I've just seen a bunch of dudes around the league making so much money and I'm happy for them but I know I deserve that too, that's the only thing I'm probably thinking about to be honest. Let's be honest, he could get the most from the Warriors but he would still be making more than the 30 million dollars he's making there and getting the Supermax if he moved to a different team as well. The Knicks on the other hand haven't been a preferred destination for years but let's be honest here, this could all change with one signing. Not only do league sources suggest they have a strong chance of luring Durant to leave Golden State this summer but they also believe that Davis is open to New York as well as Kyrie, throw in a pick this year and they could have Zion, Barrett or Jai Moran. I mean this is honestly pretty insane but how realistic is that? Sorry New York fans but I just don't want to see the 2010 free agency part 2 all over again. Whilst it's not impossible scenarios don't get too excited, I don't believe it will happen but I do think Durant to New York is a very likely situation and here's why. The summer of 2019 gives Durant the chance to go out and get a long term deal for max money. It also gives him the chance to play in New York City, the biggest market possible, helping expand his brand even more. At this point in his career he will likely have three NBA championships, two or three finals MVP's, a regular season MVP and I think it's about time he'd start to look to expand his brand even more than it already is, elevating his off the court legacy as well as his on the court legacy, especially all those fans that turned on him. I think he'd be embraced by New York with open arms. Now while he's not disliked in the bay, we all know that he will always be second fiddle to Steph and Kyrie. If Durant wants to play New York the Knicks will finally have the cash base to give him the money that he wants and he'll be 30 by the time the next summer arrives meaning that it might just be the last max contract that he will get. He will be the main guy and he will be able to elevate his brand. But why New York? This is still an NBA team that hasn't won in a very long time. The Knicks who have been widely known to be targeting Durant for so long now actually have a general manager by the name of Scott Perry. Perry was a part of the Seattle SuperSonics front office team that actually drafted Kevin Durant out of Texas in 2007. The relationship between Durant and Perry is very strong from all reports, with Durant maintaining a relationship with Scott Perry from the time that they spent in Seattle, and Perry very confident that they are going to get him according to the athletic Sam Amick. In addition, his manager Rich Clemen is a native New Yorker and has even joked about someday running the Knicks. If that isn't enough, Royal Ivy, whom Durant once called his favorite teammate ever and best friend in the league is a Knicks assistant coach. And whilst players and teammates are instrumental, Durant having a team through coaches and general managers really gives him full control and security. Durant's future could largely depend on Golden State's results this season, but New York is at least an option, and a very huge option at that. You can just imagine the pitch that the Knicks will push for Durant to join New York, including teaming up with a proven star, not a theoretical one, like Paul Zingis, which whilst I do believe the unicorn will turn into a star, that ACL injury he suffered gives no certainty that he will get back to his form. I believe he will become an All-Star, but KD, if he wants to win championships, probably needs another superstar. And with this, you can get a proven superstar in free agency, especially if you're Durant trying to win rings, I think that's what you want. So if you haven't gotten the motto, the Knicks are going all out with recruiting Kevin Durant. But if you think they're done here, yeah, not quite. Whilst we all know the New York Knicks traded Chris Sars-Paul Zingis for a package that included Deandre Jordan, Dennis Smith and Wesley Matthews, the main part of that deal was actually DJ, Deandre Jordan, who may actually help them land Kevin Durant whilst immediate speculation was Deandre would get waved by the Knicks, Brian Winhurst mentioned that New York plans to keep Deandre the two-time NBA rebounding leader and one of the better teammates in the NBA. ESPN reported and Winhurst stated, one thing I'll say about the Knicks, they're making it look like they intend to keep Deandre Jordan. You can extrapolate this out, he has a relationship with Kevin Durant. Although I don't know how, the Knicks can retain the big man, I mean they can't keep him at any real number. Jordan, after all, is close with Durant and served a similar role while with the Clippers in the summer of 2016. As we know, Durant ultimately signed with the Warriors, but sided Jordan as the reason he even considered L.A. Jordan at the moment is on a $22.9 million dollar expiring deal and will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer. So the Knicks, who have hopes of signing Durant and another Max star, may not be able to bring Jordan back unless he takes a pay cut, which at this stage in his career without a championship, I would not be surprised if he did, or they could also use the mid-level exception, which is a definite option, which is $9 million a year, to sign Jordan this summer. So that is also certainly possible. And if I'm the Knicks, I'm keeping this man, based on the quote by Durant himself talking about Deandre, which him saying, More than anything, he was just a real friend. At the end of the day, he wanted me to come to the Clippers, but at the end of the day, he didn't care, you know, he was going to be my friend no matter what. You know, I kind of gravitated towards just being around that, you know, and wanting to be around this genuine, you know, friendships, no matter who you play for. Durant told reporters at the time, he wanted me to come to the Clippers, but he's going to be my friend no matter what. I gravitated towards being around that. Now this one may be a reach, but I might as well give you everything that I know So on the episode of the jump on ESPN with Rachel Nichols and Paul Pierce, they were discussing the topic of Durant joining the New York Knicks in 2019. Look at the way Amin O'Sayn looks at the camera. That's certain that they've had some sort of wink-wink from KD or someone, or do you think they are really just going on all the same? I would never take anything so tell you. How sure is that? I don't know, it seems like a big trade to make without. Take it in that way, Mike. Okay, now I know what you're thinking. Number one, what is that phase? Number two, does he know something that we don't? Number three, maybe I'm just reading too much into this clip. And number four, how would he know what Durant is thinking when he probably doesn't even know what his plans are himself? Well, when you do some deeper research and actually break it down, who really is Amin O'Sayn? Well, in 2004 he interned at the New York Knicks Basketball Operations Office. Clearly he would have some connection still in the New York Knicks organization, but that doesn't mean a whole lot either. It's just something to note. Maybe someone in the organization knows something about K.D. than the public doesn't know. In addition, he joined the Phoenix Suns where he first started working as a video coordinator, then elevated to the position of a scouting coordinator later. Then he assigned to work as the team's assistant director of basketball operations, under the team's manager, who was Steve Kerr. That is the current coach of the Golden State Warriors and coach of Kevin Durant. And now he works for ESPN as we all know. But he worked with Kerr for four seasons, so would that relationship tell us anything? I highly doubt he would have, but if Kerr and El'Sayn have a relationship still of some sort, there may be the slightest chance that Kerr could have hinted that he's not confident in Durant staying after this season, but obviously this is the highest of all speculations. Lastly, Ennis Cantor. This man, Ennis Cantor. He and Durant have a very funny, weird, I don't know, relationship. And I mean, I was his teammate, you know, just, you know, even in health, he's an unbelievable guy, man. He's a very good locker room guy, very good friend. I don't know, I think maybe you texted him this morning. No, no, we don't text. Yeah, we're not that cool. Very good friend. Yeah, we're not that cool. Very good friend. Yeah, we're not that cool. Very good friend. Yeah, we're not that cool. He says KD was a great teammate, but also highly criticized KD for leaving, along with the negative stuff towards KD that he has said in recent months, but then also said he wants to recruit KD to New York. So honestly, I don't know if they like each other, if they dislike each other. I actually just genuinely don't know. But he did say this. See, I don't even know if I'm going to be here or not, but if they definitely land a good free agent in the summer, five to seven years, they're definitely going to get that ring. So you think one of the top free agents will sign with New York? I believe it, yes. Any idea on who it might be? I actually do have an idea, but I cannot really tell. It's a secret, but it's going to blow people's mind when he signed that for me. Which makes me question he knows something that we don't. This is my theory. The Knicks are confident that Durant will sign with them. The management who remember is Scott Perry, a friend of Kevin Durant's, probably said to the coaching staff in New York, we don't want Ennis Cantor on this team if Durant has a chance to sign with us. Okay, we have a problem in here. My man, you go home, take that shirt and burn it please. Oh, I'll change it. I got you. No matter how good he's playing, do not play him because let's be honest, he was actually having a pretty solid season. Next thing we know, Knicks aren't playing Ennis Cantor. He requests a trade, gets waived by the Knicks and signs with Portland. Now the Knicks are free of Cantor, which appealed to Durant and they replace Cantor with Deandre Jordan, a friend of Kevin Durant's, I don't know, any signs there or is it just me? So what else would KD be wanting this summer? The prospect of potentially adding Kyrie Irving, Clay Thompson, Jimmy Butler or any other free agent would also be appealing to Kevin Durant. KD has the chance to become the face of New York, the face of the Knicks franchise, one of the most historic franchises in all of sports. If he manages to win a championship in New York, this is not uncommon for fans of the NBA to forget the villains that they once hated. Clearly evident of LeBron James returning to Cleveland and winning a championship. So with that being said, thanks for watching the video. If you guys enjoyed, be sure to let me know what you think about Durant joining the New York Knicks. Subscribe if you're new, leave a like. If we can reach a thousand likes, I will upload the next video ASAP. I will see you guys in my next one. I am out, peace.