Latest Rumors On Kyrie Irving And Kevin Durant, Nets vs. Knicks In Pursuit Of NBA's Top Free Agents

While the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors compete in the 2019 NBA Finals, the Brooklyn Nets are garnering nearly the same amount of attention in the basketball world. New York’s second team is setting itself up to have a monstrous summer, potentially leaving their cross-town rivals with nothing in the process.

Rumors that Kyrie Irving plans to sign with the Brooklyn Nets are growing stronger by the day. The Nets agreed to trade two first-round picks and Allen Crabbe to the Atlanta Hawks Thursday, creating the opportunity to add Irving and another star free agent this summer.

The New York Knicks sent Kristaps Porzingis and others to the Dallas Mavericks in January with the same idea in mind. The deal sparked speculation that the Knicks might know both Kevin Durant and Irving intend to team up at Madison Square Garden.

It’s all setting up for the biggest ever showdown between the Nets and the Knicks, one that could shape the future of basketball in New York, and the entire NBA, for the next several years.

Where do the two teams stand in their pursuit of Irving and Durant? Should either team feel confident about their chances to land both stars?

From just about every indication, Irving is leaning toward signing with the Nets. SNY.tv’s Ian Begley has reported that the point guard is likely gone from the Boston Celtics. Other reports say Boston is prepared to lose the All-Star.

Several insiders (Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher, ESPN’ Stephen A. Smith, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski) have recently indicated that the Nets are the favorites to sign Irving. The former NBA champion reportedly wants Durant to join him, though Irving might not have an easy time getting his wish.

When Smith reported earlier this week that Irving conveyed to Brooklyn that he intends to sign with them in July, he noted that Durant’s decision would likely come down to the Knicks and Warriors. Wojnarowski said on “Get Up” Friday morning that the Los Angeles Clippers are a more realistic option than the Nets for Durant.

A source has told Fox Sports’ Cris Carter that Irving is indeed trying to get Durant to join him in Brooklyn, but Durant still has his eyes on the Knicks.

A lot can happen over the next few weeks. The result of the finals might influence Durant’s decision. Maybe the Nets and Knicks will both have a successful summer and turn into championship contenders.

Let’s assume the Nets sign Irving. They’ve got contingency plans in case they can’t lure Durant away from Golden State.

Brooklyn is reportedly interested in signing both Irving and D’Angelo Russell, who is a restricted free agent this summer. The two guards might be an odd fit together, though they could conceivably be the Eastern Conference’s version of the Portland Trail Blazers, who just reached the Western Conference Finals with two ball-dominant guards.

Maybe the Nets would renounce Russell’s rights and pair Irving with Jimmy Butler. The two free agents have reportedly had plans on joining forces in the past.

The Nets likely took themselves out of the Anthony Davis Sweepstakes by sending two first-rounders to Atlanta. The Knicks might be the frontrunners to land Davis, considering they’ve got seven first-round picks over the next five years, including the No.3 overall selection in the draft on June 20.

Acquiring Durant and Davis would be a major win for the Knicks this summer.

Signing Durant and Irving might be the Knicks’ first choice in free agency. Getting Durant and Kemba Walker, instead, isn’t a bad Plan B. The Charlotte Hornets are expected to try and re-sign the point guard, though it’s uncertain if they will offer him the most money possible.

Both the Knicks and Nets would, of course, have an interest in Kawhi Leonard. It will be a surprise if the superstars signs with a team other than the Toronto Raptors or Los Angeles Clippers.

The odds of where Durant and Irving might go this summer seem to change by the hour, and there are still more than 20 days until free agency officially begins.