The New York Knicks have reportedly narrowed down their free-agent wish list to Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Kawhi Leonard.
NBA free agency is right around the corner and the rumor mill is already buzzing. According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Kawhi Leonard are the only players the Knicks were considering giving max deals to.
“The Knicks only have Durant, Irving and Leonard as guys they would be willing to give the max,” Berman writes. “Point guard Kemba Walker would likely be a max option, but only if he’s coming with Durant and the Warriors star requests the signing.”
Going into this offseason, the New York Knicks looked like frontrunners to sign multiple max free agents. However, now it’s the Brooklyn Nets who have emerged as the frontrunners to sign Durant and Irving. The Knicks will push for Kawhi Leonard, but it’s been widely speculated that he’s planning on re-signing with the Toronto Raptors or heading west for the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Knicks have $72 million in cap space this offseason but do have the option to carry it over to 2020. In that case, they would go with their young talent, such as rookie RJ Barrett, and possibly sign some veterans to short-term deals to add some firepower to the roster.
New York could then make a splash in free agency in 2020. The recently-traded Anthony Davis will be a free agent next summer, and although he says he’ll re-sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, that doesn’t mean he can’t change his mind.
“According to a source, Davis would certainly be interested in the Knicks in 2020 if he’s not re-signing long term in Los Angeles,” Berman adds.
Commitments change quickly in the NBA and there’s no guarantee that Davis re-signs with the Lakers. Didn’t Irving say he would re-sign with the Boston Celtics? It’s a wait-and-see type of game when it comes to free agency. There’s a chance Davis continues to follow that trend.
