Nov 9, 2022; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) stands on the court during the third quarter against the New York Knicks at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Knicks Might Have Interesting Edge in Kevin Durant Chase

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Geoff Maggliocchetti | Last updated Apr 15, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The New York Knicks might have a couple of extra ping pong balls in the potential Kevin Durant lottery.

An awkward offseason for the Phoenix Suns, one that doesn't even have the comfort of a lottery pick, began on Monday, as the franchise fired head coach Mike Budenholzer after one season at the helm.

Budenholzer is expected to be the first of several departures from the desert: in his report from Phoenix, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania stated that the Suns are "expected to engage in trade conversations involving Durant" and the "the franchise is expected to work with Durant and his business partner and Boardroom CEO Rich Kleiman on the next landing spot for the future Hall of Famer."

Kevin Durant Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Kleiman's reported presence in Durant's future could be a blessing for those still yearning to see the 2014 NBA MVP don a Knicks uniform: during the last summer of Durant, the 2019 NBA offseason, the Manhattan-based Kleiman was eager to see his client and partner lead the latest iteration of the Knicks' seemingly never-ending rebuild.

Durant, however, denied Kleiman his dream and instead signed with the Brooklyn Nets. He acknowledged that Kleiman (as well as his father Wayne) desperately wanted to see him in Manhattan in a 2024 video released by Boardroom, but Durant claimed that the Knicks were "not cool" to watch or play for at the time.

To Durant's point, the Knicks were coming off a dreadful 17-win campaign and had gotten booted from the lottery victory that would've secured the services of either Zion Williamson or Ja Morant (they settled for RJ Barrett with the third pick).

Brooklyn, on the other hand, had Kyrie Irving and added James Harden after Durant's arrival, but the triumvirate played only 16 games together before they were broken up. The two-time NBA champion/Finals MVP Durant was traded to the Suns at the 2023 trade deadline in a deal also headlined by the metropolitan arrival of Mikal Bridges, who now reps the Knicks.

Time will tell how much the interest the Knicks still carry for the 36-year-old Durant, especially with their draft pick cabinet mostly depleted after trading for Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns. As long as Durant remains on the NBA ledgers, however, hardwood fanfiction will likely continue to pair him with New York: in a previous report, Charania listed the Knicks as several teams that had "mutual interest" with Durant, joining fellow playoff squads from Houston and Minnesota.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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