Last offseason, Kevin Durant was a free agent and the Knicks hoped to get a meeting with the 2013/14 MVP. They didn’t get one and it appears they won’t in the future should he hit the market again, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News explains.
A fan asked Durant when he was going to play for New York’s team during a portion of the star’s promotional video, which was filmed in the Big Apple. Durant was direct in his answer, telling the New Yorker “never.”
It appears the Knicks are still recovering from years of reputational damage even after exiling Phil Jackson and ushering in a new regime. The franchise hasn’t had much luck attracting top talent to play for the team since it re-signed Carmelo Anthony to his current deal back in 2014.
In 2015, LaMarcus Aldridge scheduled a meeting with New York during the opening week of free agency only to cancel it later after Jackson told him that the organization wanted Aldridge to play “strictly” center. Dwyane Wade, who met with New York last summer before signing with the Bulls, represents the last free agent fresh off an All-Star appearance to sit down with the club.
Several stars, such as LeBron James, Chris Paul, and Paul George, can hit the free agent market next offseason and it’ll be interesting to see which, if any, of the league’s marquee players will schedule a meeting with the Knicks. It seems likely that Durant, who has the ability to hit the market for the third consecutive offseason should he opt out after the 2017/18 campaign, will not headline that list.
Add 28 other teams to the “Durant will never play for” list because as long as Golden State keeps its front office and philosophy intact, KD will retire a Warrior
He also said he wanted to stay with OKC for the rest of his career
Breaking news… Shut up KD
Oh please. He was asked.
Agree MikeBids. Arrogant infant- frowning whenever anyone criticizes him. STFU KD. Maybe you could actually try to take a mediocre team to the finals.
Pretty sure he did a couple years ago….
This isnt even news he was trolling a fan
Can you blame him. I wouldn’t want my career in the hands of James Dolan.
That’s because he needs 4 all stars to help him win, Knicks only have 1
The Warriors don’t win the championship last year if KD wasn’t there.
Yeah they do easy as long as KD isn’t on the cavs
Just like in 2016 right?
The Warriors won 3 years ago without Durant and two years ago it was Game 7 down to the last two minutes without Durant…. and they won 73 games and they were up 3-1. Very close to winning a championship without Durant.
Cleveland wasn’t healthy three years ago but they were totally healthy two years ago when they won.
Game 7…. 2 minutes left and it was anyone’s ball game.
Carmelo is not an All-Star.
Talking about KP not melo
KP on the Lakers and he’s not an All-Star either.
Or Porzingis… my bad. He plays in New York and I didn’t even think of him. His agent needs to do a better job of marketing this guy especially playing in the Big Apple. He needs more commercials and fanfare. I didn’t even think of his name at first and that’s terrible marketing. I was thinking of Kentavious Pope with the Lakers
You might be one of the only people who think of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (KCP) instead of Kristaps Godzingis.
You’re probably right :(
I live on the west coast… does that give me a pass? LOL
Poor poor Knicks
And T. swift says we are never ever ever gettin back together.
Durant you ruined the NBA how does that make you feel.
i don’t think he can hear you
When LeBron leaves, it’s ok. When KD leaves, the game is ruined? I hoped GS wins the next four championships, just to ensure LeBron retires with the 3 he has.
When Lebron left it wasn’t Ok. It’s very easy to do what KD did. He sold out on OKC and left because he knew he wasn’t good enough to win a championship with just Westbrook. He didn’t earn that championship he had 4 other guys to help him. Take KD away from GSW and they prob still win. I would have respected KD more if he stayed and tried to win a championship with OKC. As a knick fan I respect melo for staying with the Knicks when he could have done the same thing as KD did.
What are you even talking about? Melo is trying to do that now with a trade to the Rockets. Not to mention the fact that the only reason he is a Knick is because he held the Nuggets hostage because his wife wanted to live in New York.
Vaguely misogynistic idiocy aside, Melo rather desperately wanted to play for the Knicks. He thought he was taking a Shaq turn like when he went to the Lakers.
Vaguely misogynistic idiocy? That was an actual fact. Melo and his wife both came out and publicly said they wanted to be in NY to help with her career. BTW, you picked the perfect name troll.
They are running melo out of NY and even then the only team he would play for is houston. Melo didn’t go to them and say he wanted to get traded. If Jackson doesn’t rip him apart everyday he wouldn’t even of considered leaving. It seems like he still wants to be in NY.
He didn’t ruin the NBA. He just proved he wasn’t as much of a man as a lot of others. But it is KD that has to look at himself in the mirror every morning for the rest of his life and think of that. It would have been easy for Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, or John Stockton to join MJ in Chicago to get an easy ring. Instead they tried to beat him. Regardless of the results, I’d rather have my self-respect instead a meaningless ring that I could easily afford to buy.
I think LeBron is leaving because he doesn’t have enough All Stars in Cleveland LOL.
He probably won’t but you can never say never. It wasn’t long ago that the Warriors and Cavs were laughingstocks.
Wow I agree with this guy for once. Perhaps I’m concussed?
Big time. Tell me about it.
The 80s and the 90s and the first half of the 2000s were very very rough. Run TMC was pretty exciting and I member calling in sick from work to watch the draft of Chris Webber.
Other than that …..futile for decades.
no one wants to play for the Knick trainwreck!!!!
Don’t blame him one bit. He’s still the lamest player in the NBA though.
We don’t want that cupcake in new York anyways
all you guys that say you dont want him obviously dont want to win …. he wants to win….period. the knicks have no clue how to win….no ring since 73 which means i havent see a championship in my lifetime….so remember this when Porzingis leaves…I rather have a bunch of ring chasers on my team than over the hill broken down overpaid has been wannabe stars (MELO)…where are all the stars that wanted to play with Melo???? where are all the wins and playoff appearances?… I’LL WAIT!!!!!