Could Knicks Trade For Kevin Durant?

The New York Knicks are focusing on the playoffs at the moment with two weeks left to go until their gauntlet begins.

However, if the Knicks come out on the other side in the same position they were a year ago as a bridesmaid, they may want to make a trade or two during the offseason to improve the team.

Bleacher Report writer Dan Favale named the Knicks as a potential landing spot for Kevin Durant if the Phoenix Suns were willing to trade him.

"Any Kevin Durant-to-the-New York Knicks scenario is predicated on the latter wanting to get out of the Karl-Anthony Towns business and the Suns (or another team) really wanting to enter it," Favale writes.

"Yes, the Knicks have other salaries to move around. But they aren't dealing Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby is too pivotal if you're keeping Towns, and the optics of rerouting Mikal Bridges for a soon-to-be 37-year-old after you mortgaged the farm to get him aren't great.

"Though Durant isn't exactly what New York needs, he adds a more bankable secondary option to the fold. Anunoby and Bridges have leveled up during Brunson's absence with a right ankle sprain, but the Knicks still rank 19th in half-court efficiency during that span.

"Subbing out Towns for Durant also stands to help the defense if New York believes Mitchell Robinson can stay healthy (mega debatable) and/or it has the remaining assets to go nab another, more durable big."

It would be hard to see the Knicks move on from Towns so quickly, but if they felt like having Durant moved the needle further in the right direction, they would do it. It would likely cost the Knicks either Anunoby or Bridges to acquire Durant, and New York moved mountains to bring both of them to the Big Apple, making a trade unlikely.

It would have to be a unique set of circumstances for the Knicks in order for a trade like this to go through, and even though it is unlikely to happen, stranger things have occurred in the NBA.