Knicks Urged to Reconsider Kevin Durant Trade

The New York Knicks are reportedly out of the Kevin Durant sweepstakes, but that doesn't mean analysts are stopping their ideas of getting the Phoenix Suns star back to the Big Apple.

Bleacher Report writer Grant Hughes named Durant as an ambitious trade target for the Knicks.

"Imagine having all the offensive juice of Karl-Anthony Towns (and then some) with far fewer mental errors and a roster-reorganizing return to Mitchell Robinson as a full-time starter," Hughes wrote.

"That version of the Knicks swaps out KAT for Kevin Durant, and it probably needs a backup big to offset the risk of Robinson's injury history. Big deal. Reserve centers are easy to find, and Durant is quietly a pretty good rim-protector as long as he's not asked to man the low spot in the defense for long stretches. He held opponents to a lower hit rate inside six feet (56.0 to 65.7 percent) than Towns did last season.

"Durant isn't what he was a decade ago. He's not as dangerous going downhill, and he's bound to miss time in what'll be his age-37 season. But he's a better all-around offensive player than Towns, takes nothing off the table defensively and could give Jalen Brunson and the Knicks a level of reliable shot-making they lack."

The Knicks could benefit from adding a player like Durant, who still brings a competitive edge unlike anyone else this late into his career.

The No. 2 overall pick from the 2007 NBA Draft still has a lot in the tank, coming in at No. 6 in scoring in the league this past season.

Swapping Durant for Towns allows the Knicks to move Robinson to the starting lineup, which is what they did in the Eastern Conference Finals. Then, the Knicks can move Hart to the bench and give the team more depth on the wing. That may not solve their issues, but it gives the team a solution to work towards.