For years, the New York Knicks have swung for the fences in every free agency period. But more often than not, they wind up overpaying for a borderline All-Star, rather than landing the franchise player they’ve craved since Carmelo Anthony left.
Knicks’ rumor cycle goes the same way every single year. They’re tied with the biggest names in the market for months, make their pitch, and then end up empty-handed. Wash, rinse, repeat.
Notably, though, things could’ve been different in 2019. Apparently, they were pretty close to signing both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. Unfortunately for them, they ended up joining the Brooklyn Nets.
Kyrie Irving Admits He And Kevin Durant Nearly Signed With The Knicks
“One of the funniest things that I see out there, probably from Knicks fans, is me and K are perfect for each other because we respond on socials at times. They had a good chance at getting us back in free agency,” Irving told the media.“But we just felt like we wanted to build here and just make our mark on this franchise. I don’t think we regret our decision, and we just want to live with leaning on each other and making sure this is successful for us.”
Kyrie Wants To Stay In Brooklyn
Irving could become a free agent pretty soon and the Knicks would be wise to make him an offer. Nonetheless, he’s expected to sign a contract extension with the Nets as he claims to be invested in the project for the long run:
“To be honest, I signed up for this for the long run,” Irving said after being cleared to play in New York City. “I loved this year. I’m grateful. It has not been the prototypical year. But when I look at my teammates and I look at what we have as an organization. I’m looking for the long run and what we can do, legacy talk.”
The Knicks are still one of the most storied and popular teams in the sports industry, so things could get better before they get any worse. The fans have been through so much and they really deserve better.