kawhi leonard

Kawhi Leonard coming to the New York Knicks is still a pipe dream

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New York Knicks to pursue Kawhi Leonard.

The New York Knicks will get a chance to meet with Kawhi Leonard.  The Finals MVP has recently opted out of his contract with the Toronto Raptors.

Leonard has left 21.3 million dollars on the table for next year.  However, he is still ‘considering’ returning to the Raptors.

The Knicks will get an opportunity to meet with Leonard.  There have been reports that the Knicks will ‘aggressively’ pursue this off-season.  While fans remain optimistic, the chances of the Knicks landing Kawhi is slim.

It may even be the biggest pipe dream that the Knicks have had in a while.

Why would Kawhi want to come to the Knicks?  Despite being the mecca of basketball and the biggest stage, the Knicks are not appealing for Kawhi.

The team is rebuilding and far from contending for a championship.  Kawhi just won a NBA Title and Finals MVP.   He is in a good position to continue winning for the rest of his career, whether that is in Toronto or elsewhere.

The Knicks are also in a good position, but what Kawhi is looking for.  Their young talent is still growing, feeling out the NBA and learning to play together.  Kawhi is not interested in that.

The Knicks do have the most cap space in the NBA, 71 million, but money is not everything.  Competing and winning is more.

Leonard will either re-sign with the Raptors or go home to California, playing for the Los Angeles Clippers.

While it all sounds good that the Knicks will ‘aggressively’ go after Kawhi, we have to be realists.  The reality is that he is not choosing the Knicks.  He is not going from the best team to the worst team.  Fans should be happy that the franchise is even getting a chance to pitch Leonard.

The New York Knicks do not have a chance to sign Leonard.

New York Knicks: Will RJ Barrett lure big free agents to Big Apple?

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New York Knicks, RJ Barrett

As expected, the New York Knicks selected Duke star RJ Barrett with the 3rd overall pick. After fending off the Atlanta Hawks for the Knicks’ first-round pick, it was nearly a guarantee they’ be selecting the 6-foot-7 swingman.

Barrett will bring a tenacious mentality towards success and production in New York, despite shooting just 31% from behind the arc and 67% from the free-throw line last season. Those two deficiencies will be ironed out in his rookie campaign, but his potential remains sky-high.

What does RJ Barrett bring to the New York Knicks?

An elite scorer around the rim and solid defender, RJ has the ability to take the Knicks to another level during his career. His influence alone should be a catalyst in luring max-contract players to the Mecca.

The hardest part in recruiting superstars will be convincing them to have faith in the youth agenda the Knicks are following. A majority of their players are under 20-years-old, which puts the team in a good position. If they aren’t able to bring in a player like Kevin Durant, they can simply continue forward with their young players and continue developing them.

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However, signing Durant and a high-profile point guard would go a long way in the growth of the young players and allowing them to see success early on in their careers. A devastatingly poor season in 2018 surely didn’t help them in their overall confidence, but it was essential for them to earn playing time and understand the talent they must compete against.

Barrett, though, is versed in competition, and would likely have been the consensus No. 1 pick if Zion Williamson hadn’t taken college basketball by storm. Moving forward, we should expect to see the Knicks aggressively pursue Durant and Kawhi Leonard in free agency.

With rumors of Kyrie Irving taking his talents to the Brooklyn Nets, D’Angelo Russell has emerged as a legitimate option for the Knicks beyond Irving and Kemba Walker.

New York Knicks off-season rumor hub

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New York Knicks, James Dolan

This off-season has already took a bad turn for the New York Knicks.  Kevin Durant’s Achilles injury started the train going off the tracks.

However, despite was fans may want, the Knicks are still going to pursue Durant.  That 4 year max contract will now be a 3 year contract since he’ll miss all next season rehabbing, if he comes to New York.

All signs point to Kyrie Irving signing with the Brooklyn Nets.  Rumors were circulating that Irving was trying to recruit Durant to the Nets.  The Nets are one of the 4 teams that will purse Durant, others being the Knicks, Lakers and Clippers.

To be honest, no one really knows what Irving is thinking.  He might be able to co-exist with D’Angelo Russell.  It is Russell’s team and Irving will put up a pity party again, the same way he did with the Celtics.  The Knicks are still intending on going after Irving and Kemba Walker, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Irving also parted with his agent and is expected to sign with ROC Nation, who has connections with the Nets and Durant.  So, take that as you will.

The Knicks appear to be out of the running for Anthony Davis.  The leaders in the clubhouse seem to be the Lakers and Celtics.  However, Davis’ agent Rich Paul mentioned that Davis will not sign long-term with Boston.

Expect more rumors about Davis to come out today and tomorrow, but the Knicks most likely will not be involved.

The Knicks are also rumored to be “aggressively” going to pursue Raptors Kawhi Leonard.  Leonard to the Knicks is a total pipe dream.  There is no way that Leonard even considers the Knicks.  Leonard is currently on the best team in the East.  Why would be go to the worst team?  Unless, he works something out with other superstars.  Leonard will re-sign with Toronto or go to the Clippers.  Fans should not think that Leonard is actually a realistic option for the Knicks.

Why the New York Knicks shouldn’t even think twice about pursuing Kevin Durant

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New York Knicks, Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors

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.

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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.

 

Should the New York Knicks favor Kawhi Leonard or Kevin Durant in free agency?

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New York Knicks

If the New York Knicks can convince either Kawhi Leonard to Kevin Durant to sign with them, it would be a huge deal. In fact, it would likely be the missing puzzle piece in a perennially bad franchise looking to drag themselves out of the dark ages.

It relies on them bringing in star players, as the youth on the team is talented but they are in dire need of a true leader and difference maker. The Carmelo Anthony age failed to provide ample success, so now they must look to players like Durant to help save the franchise from eternal doom.

The New York Knicks will leave no stone unturned:

Rumors have stated that the Knicks will make a big push for the Toronto Raptors star who is currently leading his team to an NBA Finals victory. When free agency begins on June 30th, Scott Perry is expected to go after Leonard, according to Newsday. First things first, though, the Knicks have to ensure they can even earn a meeting with the esteemed scorer.

Kawhi is currently averaging 30.9 points per game this playoff period, bringing Toronto to their first ever NBA finals appearance. Durant is sitting on the bench with a calf strain as his team falls to a 2-1 deficit.

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Overall, Durant has been the more healthy option despite his recent ailment, playing in more total games than Leonard over the past two seasons. The Warriors star is averaging 36.9 minutes per game compared to Kawhi’s 30.9. However, the difference in minutes hasn’t mattered much considering Leonards 26.6 points per game compared to Durant’s 26 during the regular season.

The bottom line, the Knicks would be lucky to snag one of the two options in free agency, but the better option would likely be Durant based on his total statistical output and health. There are several other teams that will pursue both players, specifically the Clippers who will push hard for Leonard this offseason. The Knicks will have to fend off the competition will minimal advantages – they will have to sell their youth talent and the idea of making New York city a great basketball destination once again.

 

 

Can the New York Knicks Sign both Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard?

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New York Knicks, Kawhi Leonard, Toronto Raptors

The idea of signing Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving has been the talk of the town for the New York Knicks and their fans, however, what if they were able to secure two of the most polarizing players in basketball.

Reports have indicated that Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard may opt to leave the northern city, which could open up an opportunity for the Knicks.

Marc Berman of the New York Post reported: “Knicks president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry fully expect to get a meeting” with Leonard.

Convincing him to come to New York will be a tall task considering the other options available, but maybe, just maybe, he has a sweet spot for Madison Square Garden and its fans.

How much would the Knicks have to dish out?

If the Knicks can walk into the 2019 offseason with $72.5 million in cap space, a very possible number, they would easily be able to sign two max contracts. Would it be enough for Durant and Leonard? That’s the ultimate question.

Additionally, it would force the Knicks to utilize the point guards currently on the team – Frank Ntilikina might just find himself with a third chance at life as a starter.

Kawhi is currently hauling in a bit over $18M per season, but I imagine that will jump into the $30-35M range after he finishes up in the NBA finals. Durant is averaging $30.75M per season, a number the Knicks can work with. Together, they would take up a majority of the cap space, but it would be worth every penny.

Despite sticking with Ntilikina and Dennis Smith Jr., they would have two players average a combined 52.6 points per game. Throw in the 3rd overall pick and the youth already on the roster and suddenly the Knicks are one of the league’s most polarizing teams.

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What the Knicks’ starting roster could look like in this scenario:

-Kevin Durant

-Kawhi Leonard

-Dennis Smith Jr.

-Mitchell Robinson

-RJ Barrett

With Durant playing as a shooting guard and Leonard as a traditional small forward, the dynamic of the team would be theoretically unstoppable.