Magic Johnson Plays Cupid for Kevin Durant and New York Knicks: “They Are Too Slow”

Kevin Durant has been at the center of offseason buzz, and NBA legend Magic Johnson added fuel to the conversation with an intriguing take on ESPN’s Get Up.

Magic Johnson Plays Cupid for Kevin Durant and New York Knicks: “They Are Too Slow”

Magic Johnson and Kevin Durant (Image by FirstSportz)

Kevin Durant’s exit from the Phoenix Suns this summer appears almost certain—but the big question is: where will the 36-year-old land next? As the offseason approaches, several teams are already circling. Among the most talked-about suitors are the Houston Rockets, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and others eager to land the Suns star’s signature.

Amidst this, after examining Durant’s possible options, NBA icon Magic Johnson offered his assessment. Additionally, Shams Charania listed the Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Houston Rockets, and San Antonio Spurs as the five teams that have shown interest in Durant. On ESPN’s “Get Up” show, Johnson suggested on Thursday that Kevin Durant should sign with the Knicks.

Kevin Durant, that’s an interesting piece. If I’m the Knicks, the Knicks are too slow. They’re not going to beat Indiana next year or these other teams. They got to get a little faster, right? And to me, Kevin Durant will allow them to get faster and be a guy that can help Brunson in the fourth quarter.

Magic Johnson said

Since Durant joined the Suns in the 2022–2023 season, the Arizona squad has fallen short of expectations, failing to reach the playoffs this year after struggling to advance past the first round the previous season. It is no secret that the Suns are desperate for a change, and Durant has been the talk of the town.

The Phoenix Suns made an effort to move Durant before the deadline, but the plan hasn’t been carried out yet. With a 51-31 record this past season, the Knicks made it to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000. They are aware that they must make adjustments, though, and they have already taken the first step by dismissing head coach Tom Thibodeau.

It’s also important to note that the Suns and Durant’s business partner have met several times in the past week and are considering several trade options, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Only time will tell which NBA side lands the Suns’ star in the coming weeks/months.

The Heat are unsure whether to include a talented youngster in a trade deal for Kevin Durant

No doubt, Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, and Durant—Phoenix’s big three—performed poorly during their tenure together. As the Suns attempt to reassemble their squad around Booker, they are expected to cut both Durant and Beal this summer. In particular, the Miami Heat are one of the teams interested in Durant, but are hesitant.

The Heat are reluctant to include Kel’el Ware in a Durant trade this offseason, according to Five Reasons Sports. Given that Ware showed promise during his rookie campaign and was eventually promoted to the starting lineup with Bam Adebayo, this is not entirely surprising. The Heat could still assemble a strong trade package without Ware, but the Suns are likely to want him in the deal even if the Heat does not want to include him in a trade for Durant.

The Heat might make a package offer to the Suns that includes Andrew Wiggins, Duncan Robinson, Nikola Jovic, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. in addition to draft money, but the Suns would probably prefer Ware given their center troubles from the previous year.

Suns Insider reveals important information regarding Kevin Durant’s trade timeline

The Suns unexpectedly made trade offers for Durant during the February trade deadline, but they decided to keep him. However, several speculations have suggested that Durant would be dealt before the NBA Draft on June 25, so opting to keep him this time around is not likely to happen this summer.

Two significant rumors about a possible Durant deal this summer surfaced on Thursday. John Gambadoro, a Suns Insider, claims that Durant will likely be traded the week before the 2025 draft, which is sometime next week.

On the other hand, there is growing skepticism that the San Antonio Spurs will complete a deal for Durant in the upcoming weeks, according to another report released by Grant Afseth of RG Media. It’s understandable regarding the teams that Durant is attracting due to his caliber in the league.

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