NBA Rumors: New York Knicks Reportedly In The Lead To Land Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant remains one of the top names that NBA teams will be after in the summer, but it seems the New York Knicks now have the edge. The reason behind it seems sketchy, but it is the consensus by most team executives.

According to Frank Isola of the Athletic, the Knicks are reportedly going all out to reel in Durant to their fold. He cited several league executives believing that New York is in the lead when discussions about the 30-year-old's next stop are mentioned.

Looking at the current campaign of the Knicks, the franchise could certainly turn things around with the two-time NBA champion. Currently at 9-25, adding Durant could finally push New York to the playoffs. The last time this happened was during the 2012-13 season, according to the Bleacher Report. Prior to that, the only time they won a post-season series was way back in the 2000 Eastern Conference Finals.

For Durant, a potential coming to New York could be made interesting since it would pose a new challenge for the 2014 NBA Most Valuable Player. Right now, unless some team finds a way to break the Golden State Warriors run, he may be well on his way to winning a third NBA title.

Adding a bit of color, there are also the clashes he has had with Draymond Green. This happened during their game against the Los Angeles Clippers, something that was initially branded as simply an outburst of emotions with the Dubs wanting to win. But the thing is that there were similar instances of this in the past.

These are two potential reasons for Durant to leave the Warriors and seek a new team. But the Warriors loom as the logical choice for KD if he wants to remain a winner. As mentioned earlier, it depends how long Golden State can sustain their run and keep the team intact moving forward.

It goes without saying that the salaries of the stars on the franchise are a concern as well. And if the post by Chris Haynes is to be believed, hearing Durant wanting to get as much money as possible may be another factor looming over the horizon.

Durant signed a two-year deal worth $61.5 million in the offseason. The player-option is something most are singling out, believing the nine-time NBA All-Star will exercise it to become a free agent and get more money, NBC Sports reported.

The Dubs could give in to his demand, but there will be casualties if this happens. So the next question is, will it be anyone from his co-stars in Golden State or the support players?