James Dolan and the Knicks Screwed Themselves Out of Signing Kevin Durant for the Dumbest Reason
By Michael Luciano
Once again, James Dolan's master plan has fallen at the first hurdle. Who could have guessed?
While visions of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Zion Williamson all playing together at Madison Square Garden danced in the heads of New York Knicks fans all season long, the Knicks crapped out and missed on all three, with Zion going to New Orleans and Durant and Kyrie teaming up a Q train ride away in Brooklyn.
And a major reason (among a multitude) that Durant didn't sign with the Knicks? The fact that they didn't even offer him a max contract.
The Knicks and owner Jim Dolan were not prepared to offer Kevin Durant a full max contract due to concerns over his recovery from the Achilles injury, league sources tell me and @wojespn. Knicks officials are in Los Angeles tonight, meeting with free agents such as Julius Randle.
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) June 30, 2019
You do know this is KEVIN DURANT, right, Jim? What made you think he would sign for less than the max? Because he liked the Garden that much?
While the concerns over Durant's medicals are perfectly justified, as a 30-year-old off an Achilles injury could be concerning, apparently no one around the Knicks upper management thought they had to lift an actual finger to convince KD to come to Manhattan.
And they wonder why they can't get off the treadmill.
— Skyler ⚜️ (@Skyler64690851) June 30, 2019
Anytime someone attempts to convince you that the Knicks front office and ownership have things figured out, just remind them that they decided not to offer Kevin Durant a max contract. Then try not to pass out from anger.