The New York Knicks delivered their first Eastern Conference Finals run since 2000. And pulled it off without needing a megastar like Kevin Durant. However, the Phoenix Suns star came close to joining the Knicks per a new bombshell report Thursday.
ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania dropped some stunning league intel before Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Here's what Charania shared.
“The Knicks made an offer for Kevin Durant at the NBA trade deadline,” Charania said. “There was some mutual interest.”
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Obviously the trade never took place. The Knicks rolled deep into the NBA playoffs off Jalen Brunson, Karl Anthony-Towns, plus Mikal Bridges and company. Charania also didn't elaborate on who from NYK would've been included in a potential Durant deal.
Could Knicks/Suns work out another Kevin Durant trade?
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) and forward Mikal Bridges (25) speak in the fourth quarter during game six of the eastern conference finals against the Indiana Pacers for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
The Knicks are now undergoing a sudden transition period. Tom Thibodeau is out as head coach, as the Knicks fired him Tuesday. The decision to remove “Thibs” comes following the ECF appearance.
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New York must find an attractable replacement for Thibodeau — who reinvented the Knicks as a playoff contender. But will New York re-pursue the trade market? Including for Durant?
“We'll see what happens in the next couple of weeks. Now do you go after a landmark player?” Charania asked. “Do they go star hunting?”
Charania isn't ruling out changes being made.
“At the bare minimum, they're going to have to add some more depth. That's going to be the requirement of this team,” Charania explained.
Sounds like Durant-to-New York isn't out of the woods yet. But the franchise must find their next head coach. Names are already sprouting, including some surprises.
NBA champion Metta World Peace is one making his sales pitch. The Queensbridge, New York native expressed interest in the gig. Jason Kidd and Ime Udoka are two more linked to the opening. Even another NBA champion guard in Rajon Rondo was mentioned as a possibility. Former Denver Nuggets head coach and current ESPN analyst Mike Malone is also available. Malone led the Nuggets to their only NBA title in the 2023 season.