The New York Knicks are planning a big offseason in terms of free agency. The team has set themselves up for flexibility with their salary cap and can chase big names this season. The Knicks are thinking big and could begin the recruiting early. Phil Jackson has said that Carmelo Anthony will be big for the team when it comes to recruiting free agents to New York and he could get started with Kevin Durant.
The rumors around Durant have been quiet with the focus shifting to the NBA trade deadline. However, with the All-Star game coming up many wonder just how many stars will try to recruit the Oklahoma City Thunder star to their respective teams. All eyes are on Anthony to get the former NBA MVP to the Knicks as the team has the salary cap space to offer him a favorable deal. Anthony admitted to the media that while he knows and is friends with Durant, he has no idea what the star is thinking in regards to free agency.
"I think right now, I haven't talked to him to see where he's at, you know, what he's thinking," Anthony said, via Newsday.com. "I know him as a person. I don't think he's thinking about it right now. Of course it's on anybody's mind. You have your days where you think about it and you have your days where you don't think about it. The good thing is he's out in Oklahoma City, where he doesn't have to worry about all of this [large crowds of media] at practice. They only have got to worry about a couple of people. But I don't think he's dealing with that at this point."
The Knicks will chase Durant just like everyone else. If the star is going to leave the Thunder it will be for the team with the most favorable roster to win a championship. It is debatable as to whether or not that is the Knicks. They have a star center in Robin Lopez, but they lack at the point guard position. The team does have a rising star in Kristaps Porzingis who could have more pull in terms of free agents than Anthony. Durant is certainly impressed. According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, Durant believes Porzingis is going to be a real star for the league.
"Yeah, no doubt,'' Durant said, via the New York Post. "No doubt. Most definitely. When they made the pick, I texted [Fisher] immediately and I said I liked the pick. A lot of people were down on him. But he can play. I've seen it, you've seen it. He's a skilled guy.''
Durant is not the only free agent the Knicks are aiming to chase. ESPN's Ian Begley writes that Mike Conley is sitting at the top of the list while DeMar DeRozan's name has floated around too. Having an established star like Anthony and a rising one like Porzingis will make the Knicks are favorable landing spot for big names in free agency.
