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Kevin Durant’s Free Agency Destination Power Rankings

By Gerald Bourguet

May 24, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) reacts during the first quarter against the Golden State Warriors in game four of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
May 24, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) reacts during the first quarter against the Golden State Warriors in game four of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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Kevin Durant
Jan 26, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) drives against New York Knicks power forward Derrick Williams (23) and center Robin Lopez (8) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

7. New York Knicks

Durant currently only has six free agency sit-downs planned, but according to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the New York Knicks are another team he will consider when they attempt to make a pitch.

As of right now, it appears Knicks superstar Carmelo Anthony is already pitching the four-time NBA scoring leader to join him in the Big Apple.

The Knicks have been surprisingly active in all the offseason chatter over the last week, trading Robin Lopez for former MVP Derrick Rose, reportedly making Joakim Noah a top free agency target and being involved in some early Dwight Howard chatter.

While it’s commendable for Phil Jackson to want to put a more competitive team around Melo — and also necessary to have any chance of appealing to Kevin Durant — adding an injury-prone former MVP and another injury-prone center (in either scenario) does not exactly put New York in contention for KD’s services.

Melo and KD have been friends for a long time, but even if Derrick Rose represents a major upgrade at the point guard spot over Jose Calderon and Jerian Grant, he’s nowhere near the star-caliber player he once was.

Rose showed flashes of brilliance last season when he played 66 games (the most he’s played since the 2010-11 season), but he was pretty average overall.

Despite picking up his numbers after the All-Star break during Jimmy Butler‘s absence, Rose only averaged 16.4 points and 4.7 assists per game on .427/.293/793 shooting splits with a below-average Player Efficiency Rating of 13.5 for the season.

Noah (4.3 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 3.8 APG, 27 games) is coming off his worst/most injury-shortened season, but even at age 31, he’ll command a max from someone.

Howard, whose game is dependent upon his athleticism, is no longer the game-changer he once was. Though he averaged a respectable 13.7 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game last season, he’s been unable to stay healthy over the past few seasons and is already 30 years old.

Snagging D-Rose takes the Knicks out of the Mike Conley sweepstakes, and between two ball-dominant players like Rose and Melo (not to mention Kristaps Porzingis, who needs touches as the future of the franchise), where would Kevin Durant fit in anyway?

If this were 2011, a possible core of Rose, KD, Melo and Noah/Howard would’ve made the Knicks instant title contenders. Five years later, however, it’s hard to see A) that scenario coming to fruition and B) that core giving the Cleveland Cavaliers a true run for their money in the East.

Next: No. 6