Knicks Notes: Durant, Ownership, Offseason Recap

Warriors‘ superstar Kevin Durant has explicitly stated he would never play for the Knicks but it does not mean he will not offer the franchise advice. Speaking with The Ringer’s Bill Simmons, Durant criticized the Knicks’ front office and lack of leadership from the top of the organization all the way down to the on-court product.

“Everything starts at the top, you have bad leadership, and it’s just going to trickle down to everybody else,” Durant said (via New York Post). “When a GM wants to make a decision, he has to talk to the owner and he’s nowhere to be found and he don’‘t care then you kind of stuck and that causes tension.”

The Knicks’ front office drama with Phil Jackson, James Dolan, and even the current trade saga with Carmelo Anthony has been ridiculed for a long time. Durant, who joined the Warriors in free agency last year, never seriously considered the Knicks and helped deliver the Warriors’ second title in the last three seasons.  While Durant later went on to praise New York City and playing in Madison Square Garden, the former MVP will not be a popular face when the team heads to New York next season.

Read about other news tidbits surrounding the Knicks:

• The daughter of Bucks co-owner Wes Edens, Mallory Edens, recently told TMZ that she wants to purchase the Knicks. Dolan has not expressed any public desire to sell the team but Edens would want first dibs on the chance to buy the team, citing lack of women in top positions in the NBA.
• Shaun Powell of NBA.com recapped the Knicks team based on last year’s performance, expectations for 2017/18 and more.