Kevin Durant missing most, if not all, of next season makes the Knicks’ chances of going after him in free agency much slimmer
Not signing Durant takes off one of the Knicks’ main targets this summer
The Knicks’ 2020 championship odds still remain at 15-1 despite the KD injury
Most of the Knicks’ fan base had more confidence than ever that Kevin Durant was going to be a Knick come this summer. It took one Achilles injury in Game 5 of the NBA Finals to change that belief.
With Durant expected to be sidelined for the majority of next season now, it would be a big risk for the Knicks to take to sign him to a max contract. For a team that is looking to start winning next season, they can’t sign a guy coming off a torn achilles, with injury problems in the past and who will essentially miss the first year of his contract. There’s just too many red flags there.
2020 NBA Championship Odds
| Team | 2020 NBA Championship Odds |
|---|---|
| Golden State Warriors | +180 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | +450 |
| Toronto Raptors | +1000 |
| Houston Rockets | +1200 |
| New York Knicks | +1500 |
| Boston Celtics | +1800 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | +1800 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +1800 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | +2000 |
| Brooklyn Nets | +2500 |
Odds taken 06/12/19.
15-1 Odds Way Too Generous for Knicks
At 15-1 odds, I would stay far, far away from picking the Knicks to win a championship in 2020. With KD off the board, that leaves some combo of Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis or Kemba Walker and Davis, Irving/Walker and Jimmy Butler, Irving Walker and Kawhi Leonard and so on.
Show Brooklyn Some Love
The other team in New York might actually end up being the better bet at 25-1 odds after they traded Allen Crabbe to free up cap space. The Brooklyn Nets are easily the better bet at those odds to win the NBA championship in 2020.
Bet Brooklyn
With Crabbe’s contract off the books, the Nets have the potential of bringing in two max free agents. That is if they don’t end up keeping D’Angelo Russell, who is a restricted free agent. That is a difficult decision the Nets will have to make.
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If they are able to lure Kyrie Irving to come to Brooklyn, it could make more sense to let Russell walk and take the risk of signing KD or sign someone like Tobias Harris. If the Nets can find a way to sign Irving and Leonard, the Nets are going to be a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference.
This was already a playoff team. There’s a strong chance they take that next step with a big splash.
Pick: Brooklyn Nets (+2500)