Kevin Durant favoring New York Knicks move?

What would need to happen for the New York Knicks pull off a successful pursuit of Kevin Durant in free agency this offseason?

The free agency rumors swirling for the Golden State Warriors polarizing superstar, and former Texas Longhorns one-and-done, Kevin Durant will continue until he is officially signed come this NBA offseason. Kevin Durant is the hottest name on the free agent market for the 2019 NBA offseason, and the rumor mill for him is growing as we move closer to the end of the 2018-19 season.

Since Kevin Durant and the Warriors are set for a pretty deep run in the NBA Playoffs, in all likelihood, he will stay at the forefront alongside stars like big man DeMarcus Cousins and shooting guard Klay Thompson. There could be any number of moves coming out of the Warriors camp this coming offseason.

However, this Warriors locker room needs to keep its focus on the court until the end of the regular season. In a regular season filled with off-the-court distractions, largely thanks to Kevin Durant, could’ve taken the Warriors focus off what truly matters. At this point of the 2018-19 campaign, Golden State sits tied for first place in the Western Conference and second place in the NBA overall.

The team tied with the Warriors in the Western Conference standings is the Denver Nuggets. Each team sits with a record of 37-15. In the Eastern Conference, the Milwaukee Bucks sit with a better record than the Warriors. The Toronto Raptors are close to passing the Warriors in the standings too. Superstars like the Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo and Raptors Kawhi Leonard are making big pushes for contention in the East.

With NBA All-Star Weekend soon approaching, stars like Thompson and Kevin Durant will get to go toe-to-toe with some of the best the league has to offer. But, this could also be a time where trade talks and free agency rumors loom large. Since Durant is participating in All-Star Weekend as a starter for the West, he’ll stay in the thick of that discussion.

One intriguing rumor that emerged recently for Kevin Durant with some credible backing to it is a potential move to the New York Knicks. It seems like the big market teams is the main group that encircles interest from Durant. That includes teams like the Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Chicago Bulls.

But, two moves that seem to have some traction to it would be to the Knicks and Lakers. Kevin Durant could join up with LeBron James to make a title run with the Lakers. Or, he could have a clear path to title contention in the East with the Knicks.

According to a report from Yahoo Sports, there’s an NBA exec that rivals the Warriors that believes Kevin Durant is destined to land with the Knicks. There’s also a few moves the Knicks made of late to free up some cap room that indicates the front office is bound to make a run to land Durant.

The blockbuster trade between the Knicks and Dallas Mavericks that shipped Kristaps Porzingis out of New York gave them some more cap space to work with this offseason. But, various reports from Bleacher Report do show that the Knicks don’t plan to adjust the plans to rebuild starting this offseason just due to a pursuit of Kevin Durant.

If Kevin Durant does pull the trigger on a move to the East, the Knicks make more sense for him than most other teams. The Knicks have a lot of cap room to work with and the potential to get in the thick of the sweepstakes for Duke Blue Devils freshman sensation Zion Williamson for the 2019 NBA Draft. There would be something special brewing in the Big Apple.