The ‘Kevin Durant to New York’ buzz reached fever pitch on Thursday when the Knicks traded Kristaps Porzingis for very little other than future cap space.
But the Knicks were the front-runners to sign Durant well before today’s stunning trade, and the signs were there all along.
Check out these fun facts, as pointed out in various corners of the internet, most recently and concisely by The Athletic’s Sam Amick:
- Durant’s business manager Rich Kleiman is a New York local and lifelong Knicks fan
- Kleiman once tweeted “Imma run the Knicks one day.”
- Knicks general manager Scott Perry was part of the SuperSonics front office team that drafted Durant in 2007
- Perry and Durant have maintained a good relationship to this day
You can almost guarantee both men have held conversations with Durant about what a future with the Knicks would look like.
This is something he’s considering at the very least.
And while none of this guarantees anything for the Knicks, they already have a lot working in their favour.
For more Basketball Forever content, follow @bballforeverfb and @nickjungfer.