A marriage between Kevin Durant and the Knicks has been a storyline since the regular season began. And many in the business believe it is one that can definitely come to fruition.

This summer, the Knicks are primed to completely revamp their franchise by adding a top free agent, high draft pick, or ideally, both. Durant will almost certainly be on their wishlist, and sources tell Bleacher Report's Ric Bucher that New York has "a strong chance" to entice him if he decided to opt out and leave the Bay Area.

After winning two titles (and two MVPs to go with it), Durant is obviously going to want to find himself another contender if he does opt out. The Knicks obviously are not that team right now, but they could easily be next season with a few upgrades.

For one, New York is reportedly a top candidate in trading for Pelicans C Anthony Davis, who has requested a trade out of New Orleans. The Knicks are among top candidates to land the versatile All-Star despite Davis supposedly preferring to join the Lakers if a trade were to be reached, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

However, if the Pelicans don't trade Davis prior to the Feb. 7 trade deadline, he can still be dealed this offseason. If the Knicks land someone like Davis, Durant could follow suit and immediately change the franchise.

And even if the Knicks can't land Davis, a top draft pick that could be Duke stars Zion Williamson or R.J. Barrett may also work as a point of intrigue for Durant.

Durant is also publicly shown love for players like Kristaps Porzingis and Kevin Knox this season. He was the one that dubbed Porzingis a "unicorn" due to the Latvian's ability to do anything on the floor, especially shoot beyond the arc.

"Seeing a guy that's 7-3 being able to shoot the three, usually big guys take a while to get that jump shot off at the three-point line," Durant said. "He had a quick trigger from deep."

Talking about Knox, Durant said: "He's playing some big minutes. Really starting to get a feel for the game. He has a bright future ahead of him."

There are many factors at work here, but one thing is for certain: If Durant opts out, the Knicks will be one team fighting hard to land the former NBA MVP.

Popular in the Community