"I take that with a grain of salt" - Kevin Durant reacts to rumors suggesting New York Knicks were hesitant to give him a max contract
During the summer of 2019, Kevin Durant was the hottest commodity in the NBA. The superstar scorer had just hit free agency following three incredibly successful years with the Golden State Warriors and was fielding calls from teams around the league who were all desperate to secure his signature.
What's crazy is that whichever team won the sweepstakes to acquire Durant, would have to wait a year before they see him suit up for their roster. That is because the star wing was recovering from an Achilles injury sustained in the 2018-19 NBA Playoffs. Worse still, Durant would be under contract and would be drawing a cheque throughout his rehab.
It's that Achilles injury, and inability to play the following season, that is rumored to have cost the New York Knicks their shot at landing the transcendent scoring wing. Everyone knew that Durant was seeking a max contract - as one of the top-3 players in the NBA, it was his given right to expect top dollar.
But, according to rumors that have since circulated, the Knicks had some concerns about extending a multi-year deal without knowing Durant would return as the same player we had all witnessed with the Oklahoma City Thunder and later, the Warriors.
Kevin Durant on reports the Knicks were hesitant to offer a max contract in free agency: "I don't know how true that is. I heard rumors and sources. I don't know where those come from. I take that with a grain of salt. I didn't believe it. I don't think anybody did." https://t.co/DtP7bD9vpV
While the Knicks deliberated on whether to offer KD a contract or not, their fierce rivals, the Brooklyn Nets were busy making moves and eventually signed Durant to a four-year $164 million contract. To add insult to injury, Kyrie Irving also made the move to Brooklyn, turning down an offer from the Knicks to join forces with close friend Durant.
"We're both in the city, we know how much Knicks fans don't like us. Especially now, in this era of the Nets, with us not choosing the Knicks, you know me and Kyrie. It definitely adds something to the rivalry, and no matter who's on the team, I think it will always be like that in the city."
"It's good to be a part of this, it's a fun rivalry, hopefully it continues to build, and we get more and more animosty between the fan bases - it's only good for the game," Durant said during a post-game press conference after the Nets defeated the Knicks on April 6.
Nets Season-Long Struggles Have Led to Play-In
The Nets have struggled with health and availability all season, and will now have to fight to claw their way into the post-season. Brooklyn is currently tied for eighth seed with the Atlanta Hawks, and will be hoping to cement themselves in the easier of the two play-in paths - which would see them only needing to win once, whereas if they fall to the ninth seed, they will need to win two games in a row just to make the post-season.
With KD now healthy and Irving cleared to play for the team full-time, the Nets are a scary proposition. There don't seem to be many fans, analysts, or media members who don't expect to see the Nets dominating in the playoffs come April 16.
However, without Ben Simmons, who has yet to play for the team following the trade that saw James Harden head to the Philadelphia 76ers, it's unclear if the Nets have the depth to make a legitimate run to the NBA finals.