The New York Knicks figure to be a major player in free agency next summer as several All-Star players could be available, including Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler, Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant. The Knicks have already been linked to Irving, who is reportedly the team's "first, second, third and fourth choice," but the latest chatter suggests KD could also be eyeing the Big Apple.
On today's taping of FS1's Undisputed, ESPN's Chris B. Haynes explained why the Knicks "have a very good shot" at luring Durant away from the Golden State Warriors.
"New York Knicks have a very good shot at luring KD away from the Bay Area. ... The same allure that LeBron had towards the Los Angeles Lakers, just the building, the culture, is the same way I know that KD feels about the Knicks."
Durant, 30, has a $31.5 million player option for the 2019-20 season, meaning he could choose to explore free agency after this season with the aforementioned All-Stars. While that decision looms and speculation arises, Durant tells ESPN his main focus is the season at hand and winning a third consecutive NBA title.
"I dealt with it before," Durant said, per ESPN. "I just try to be as honest as I can. I'm not going to tell people what I'm thinking. ... Some days I think about my free agency, some days I don't. Some days I think about what my future looks like, some days I don't. I'm just human. That's just natural for me. But I can't sit down and talk to people about it because I want to keep playing, I want to focus on the season."
The Warriors will host the Oklahoma City Thunder on the NBA's opening night, October 16.
