Briefing: June 13
Kyrie changes agents. Durant confirms ruptured Achilles.
Good Morning,
Happy Birthday, Steve Novak! #OAKAAK
Ja Morant will meet with the Knicks in New York today, per Jordan Schultz.
Draft prospect Terry Harris, the younger brother of free agent Tobias Harris, also has a workout scheduled with the Knicks today, per Stefan Bondy.
I love Knicks fans…
Kyrie Irving is changing representation and is expected to partner with Roc Nation Sports, league sources told ESPN.
What this means: If you want to start connecting the dots, Roc Nation also represents Kevin Durant (along with Knicks star Henry Ellenson), and perhaps most importantly, the President, Michael Yorkmark, is twin brothers with Nets CEO Brett Yormark. Of course, Roc Nation was founded by business and hip-hop mogul, Jay-Z, who used to own a partial share of the Nets.
So does this mean Kyrie will be a Net? According to Adrian Wojnarowski, “league sources say he remains intensely interested in the Brooklyn Nets. The New York Knicks are expected to remain competitive for Irving, too.”
Kyrie + Durant? “The Knicks and Nets are both still interested in signing Durant and Irving together, league sources said.” [ESPN]
Irving had discussed the possibility of joining Kevin Durant as a free agent in either New York or Brooklyn before Durant’s injury, per ESPN.
Irving also took the procedural route of opting out of his player option for 2019-20. He was owed $21.3M, which is less than the $32.7M he can earn on the first year of a max contract from Boston, or any team this summer.
Latest on Anthony Davis: Both the Celtics and Lakers are engaged, separately, in trade talks with New Orleans to acquire the All-NBA star, per ESPN.
“The Lakers' package has been centered on guard Lonzo Ball and forward Brandon Ingram. So far, it is believed that the Lakers are trying to hold on to forward Kyle Kuzma.”
The Knicks had dialogue recently with at least one team in an effort to put together a multi-team deal for Davis, per Ian Begley, but it appears that they've been unwilling to offer what the Pelicans desire.
Ian Begley joins Knicks Fan TV
Key Notes:
On KD: People in the organization are still willing to offer him a deal despite the possibility of him missing all of next season. The idea would be that it gives the Knicks more time to build out the roster and go back into Free agency in 2020 while KD rehabs.
On Kyrie: Nets are the front-runners, but it’s still early, things can change.
On AD Trade: Knicks are motivated, but they’ve drawn a line in the sand and are apprehensive to offering the type of package that the Pelicans desire. Looking back on the Carmelo trade, they don’t want to make the same mistake. Ian was told AD would strongly consider signing with the Knicks. However, by not trading for him now, the Knicks risk losing him in free agency in 2020 (versus having him already in-house ready to re-sign).
On 2019 Draft: RJ Barrett should still be the pick. Knicks will meet with JA Morant, just in case he slides past 2. Begley hasn't heard much in terms of trading back.
Frank trade: If there is an offer presented that they like, they will take it. Given he’s not a Scott Perry pick and not getting much minutes last year, it makes it more likely he gets moved. But it’s not an imperative on draft night.
Iso Zo Team Option: No decision has been made yet. Depends on what they hear in free agency going into the draft. If they feel like they need the cap space to sign 2 max FA’s then they may consider declining.
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2019 Knicks Draft Cap
New Era released the 2019 Knicks draft hat today. You can find yours in different style here.
Has interest in signing Durant to the max cooled?
by Jonathan Macri
On the night of Kevin Durant's injury, WFAN's John Schmeelk posted a poll on Twitter asking his followers the following question:
If you are the Knicks, and Kevin Durant is diagnosed with a fully ruptured achilles tendon, would you still offer him a full max contract this offseason if he doesn't opt in for the Warriors next year at 31.5 million?
We often say that public opinion on certain issues is split down the middle. Here, that's literally the case: over 1600 votes, 49% for, 51% against.
Yesterday I argued, somewhat decidedly, that doing whatever it takes to get Durant's services for the next four years is still the right move for the Knicks. I'll admit, even as I was writing it, I was thinking in the back of my head, "boy, that's a lot of money for someone who probably won't see the court until roughly 16 months from now."
There was also a very small part of me that thought, for as tragic as this event was for Durant personally (and I'm in full agreement with everyone out there suggesting we need to revamp the way teams decided whether or not a player is ready to see the court again), there did exist at least the sliver of a possibility of a silver lining. I thought to myself, "well, maybe this injury scares off other suitors enough so that New York's chances of signing him increase."
To be clear: I'd much rather have seen a healthy KD play next season for the Nets or Clippers or Warriors or whoever than see him sitting in a suit on the sidelines in MSG. I'm a die hard fan, but still, we're fans; for Durant, his livelihood and legacy is on the line.
Once the injury happened though, I hoped the Knicks could somehow use the opportunity to double down on their desire to have him as part of their organization.
So yesterday when I read Woj's report that the Nets - along with the Knicks - were still interested in signing KD and Kyrie Irving together, I was a little taken aback. It's one thing for the Knicks, who (as I pointed out yesterday) may not have many better uses of their cap space, to dedicate enormous resources to someone with an uncertain injury timetable and future.
But the Nets? For them to do this, they'd have to renounce D'Angelo Russell's cap hold. That means they'd be deciding to take on a 31-year-old who almost certainly won't play a game next season in favor of a 23-year-old who just made his first All-Star team.
This tells me a couple things:
All the Knick fans out there suggesting that paying DLo the max as a consolation prize if New York misses out on other targets should maybe rethink that stance (and also take a look where a majority of Russell's points came from last season)
My stance on going all-out to sign KD maybe wasn't as crazy as I thought
On the second point, it's true that Bobby Marks said after the injury that three teams he spoke with would still offer KD the max, but who knows who they were. They could have been capped out teams who were never going to be in the running. For the Nets to put their money where their mouth is would be quite a different thing altogether.
Add onto this Kyrie Irving switching agents to Roc Nation, and I don't want to say I told you so, but, well...there's a reason I've been harping on Brooklyn being a legit free agency threat for months.
So today's message is simple: if you're someone reading this who wants to eschew signing a former MVP who is about to go through long and strenuous rehab process, or a soon-to-be former Celtic with a bad knee and questionable leadership qualities, that's fine. You're well within your right to do so. And hey, as I've also said all year, there would be far worse things than seeing the Knicks finally carry forward with an honest to goodness youthful rebuilt for the first time since...well, ever.
Just know that before you realize it, Irving and Durant may be romping through the Eastern Conference right in our own backyard. If the Knicks' kids hit the ceilings we all hope, that may not matter. Crazier things have happened.
But be careful what you wish for. You just might get it.
Thanks for reading, talk to you tomorrow!