Kevin Durant To The Clippers? Why Kawhi Leonard Makes Knicks Most Likely Option For KD In 2019

The idea that Kevin Durant is dead set on signing with the New York Knicks has received plenty of pushback this week. It started with Marc Stein’s report in The New York Times that claimed the Los Angeles Clippers are an “equally dangerous threat” to sign the Golden State Warriors’ star, and it’s picked up steam with former NBA player Kendrick Perkins saying on FS1 that Durant likes the Clippers’ organization and head coach Doc Rivers.

Los Angeles has been considered the favorites to sign Kawhi Leonard in free agency for several months. The Clippers’ dream scenario is to sign both Leonard and Durant, and the team can make it happen under the salary cap with some maneuvering.

The Clippers seemingly give Durant a better chance to win than the Knicks. L.A. won 48 regular-season games and pushed the Warriors to six games in the first round. Pairing Durant and Leonard would likely make Los Angeles the favorites to win the 2020 NBA Finals.

Does that mean the Clippers are a more likely destination for Durant than the Knicks?

The short answer no, and not only because we’ve been hearing rumors of Durant’s plans to sign with the Knicks for nearly a year. The notion that Leonard is likely to leave the Toronto Raptors for the Clippers could actually lessen Durant’s odds of going to Los Angeles, even if the stars could form an unstoppable duo.

Why does everyone think Durant will leave Golden State? It’s definitely not because it would increase his chances of winning. The forward is probably about to win his third title in as many seasons with the Warriors. He can stay in the Bay Area and keep dominating the NBA for years to come.

If Durant heads elsewhere, it’ll be so he can have his “own” team. Durant might be the best player on the Warriors, but Golden State will always be Stephen Curry’s team.

Even after winning back-to-back NBA Finals MVP awards, Durant doesn’t seem to think he gets the credit he deserves for his championships because he joined a historic team. That point has only been reinforced by Golden State’s success in Durant’s absence this postseason.

What would be the perception be regarding Durant’s championships with Leonard in Los Angeles? The superstar might just find himself on a different version of the Warriors.

Leonard continues to establish himself as a truly elite player. He’s managed to outperform likely MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo in the Eastern Conference Finals. A significant portion of the basketball world believes it’s Leonard, not Durant, that is the best player in basketball.

Winning with Leonard and the Clippers would of course only improve Durant’s legacy, but it would pale in comparison to what bringing a title to the Knicks could do for Durant’s place in history.

An argument can be made that New York’s last-place record in the 2018-2019 season might give Durant even more reason to join the Knicks.

The Knicks are in the midst of a 46-year championship drought. They’ve been the league’s most inept franchise over the last two decades. A title in New York would make Durant an immortal, and he would do so as the clear No.1 star.

There have been no rumors of a Durant-Leonard pairing with the Knicks. If Durant goes to New York, he’ll likely be joined by Kyrie Irving or Kemba Walker. Those guards are All-Stars, but they are easily a tier below Durant, and no one would confuse them with the best player on the team.

The Knicks also have a real chance to trade for Anthony Davis, but it’s hard to believe he would threaten Durant as the team’s best player, at least not initially. Davis has never gotten out of the second round of the playoffs and still has a lot to prove after a messy year with the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Clippers probably give Durant his best chance to win when it comes to free agent destinations, but this summer is about far more than the opportunity to rack up rings.

If Leonard decides to go to the Clippers after becoming the No.1 story in the NBA playoffs, Durant’s odds of going to the Big Apple might only increase.