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It has been another disappointing season for the New York Knicks, and for the team's fans, this is nothing new. Year after year after year, Knicks' owner James Dolan has failed to assemble a team good enough to even make the playoffs.
Their second place finish in the Eastern Conference back in the 2012-13 season feels like it happened a long time ago, and at this very moment, they seem to have no direction, especially since they have traded promising forward Kristaps Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks last month.
But the Knicks could turn their fortunes around in a heartbeat, as they are expected to make major moves this summer. Not only are they expected to get one of the top picks in the draft, they will also have enough cap space to sign two top-tier free agents to max contracts.
The speculations around the league is that the Knicks have a strong belief that Golden State Warriors' Kevin Durant and Boston Celtics' Kyrie Irving will sign with the team this July, and that creates optimism for a lot of Knicks fans.
However, there seems to be one name missing here. Oh, right, the Knicks could also go after Toronto Raptors' Kawhi Leonard. But while Durant and Irving are the ones more likely to go to New York, there's still the possibility that one or both of them could go elsewhere, leaving the Knicks with no option but to go after the former Finals MVP.
But how likely is it for Leonard to sign with the Knicks?
Well, Leonard didn't commit long-term with the Raptors, but he didn't give any hint that he'll join the Knicks either. In a postgame interview following the Toronto's 104-99 victory against New York last month, the All-Star forward said he's solely focused on his team's goals this season, but also said he plans to talk to some people and ask them for advice on his next move.
“I’m playing the season right now, but I’ll just talk to people to see what I want to do. I want to focus on this season. We’re going to get there.”
That statement doesn't give us much information, so let's break things down.
The Market
Should Leonard leave Toronto after this season, he is expected to be pursued by the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers. Now it is worth noting that before Kawhi was traded by the San Antonio Spurs to the Raptors, there were reports that came out that he preferred being shipped to one of the LA teams, and if those rumors are true, his mindset is expected to remain the same come July.
Of course, with the cap space that they have, the Knicks will join the sweepstakes for Leonard. New York can offer him a bigger market for his off-court ventures. After all, LeBron James did leave Cleveland for a bigger market in Los Angeles.
But Leonard reportedly isn't a fan of joining LeBron because of all the drama surrounding the four-time MVP, and that leaves the Clippers and the Knicks. Brand wise, New York has the edge, but if Kawhi will be focused on playing basketball, then the Clips would be a wise choice. Leonard will still be in a big market with an already established and competitive team.
A superstar teammate
One of the recent trends in the NBA as of late is the formation of ‘superteams.' Meaning, if Leonard plans to join a championship contender with the Knicks, then he needs to get an assurance that one of the marquee free agents will go with him. But why should he wait? He can definitely join LeBron's Lakers or just sign with the Clippers. Both LA teams have a better roster at the moment than the Knicks.
So let's say the Knicks failed to convince Durant and Irving to join the team, Kawhi will most certainly want to continue winning, and if New York fails to present him with a roster that's capable of matching what Toronto has accomplished this season, then why would he even bother going there?
Team management
Alright, let's face it. Dolan is an incompetent owner. At this point it is more likely for him to ban more fans at MSG than sign marquee free agents. They haven't been able to be successful in the draft either. Aside from Porzingis, who's already in Dallas, Frank Ntilikina and Kevin Knox have failed to live up to expectations. Dennis Smith Jr. and Mitchell Robinson are interesting pieces, but pairing them with Kawhi won't be enough to turn the Knicks into a contender.
Fans have been calling for Dolan to sell the team, but he's unlikely to do that. Meaning the incompetent management will continue. So why would Leonard allow himself to join a dysfunctional franchise?
The other New York team
If Leonard does want to go to New York, then the better option for him will be to sign with the Brooklyn Nets. Without a legitimate All-Star (Russell is great, but he was just a substitute for Indiana Pacers' Victor Oladipo), the team has remained competitive this season. Kawhi joining the young core of Russell, Spencer Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert, and Jarrett Allen could immediately turn that team into a championship contender.
The Knicks? Well, aside from Smith and Robinson, all they have are right now are a bunch of guys who were former lottery picks but have never lived up to their potential. Yes, they could land Zion Williamson in the draft, but even that won't make them better than the Nets.
***
Yes, there's a chance that Leonard could end up with the Knicks next season, but there are also a lot of better options for him. He can stay with the Raptors, join one of the LA teams, or sign with the Nets. All four teams could put him in a better situation as a player, especially when we're talking about winning.
So, sorry Knicks fans. The chances of Leonard joining your team is slim.
Then again, we could be wrong, and you could end up laughing at us like this.
