The Knicks have quoted Durant! The two sides are interested in cooperation. Meiji analyzes two major trading frameworks

On June 6, famous reporter Shams revealed on the show that before the transaction deadline, the Knicks and Kevin Durant were interested in cooperating with each other, and the Knicks did make a transaction offer for Durant to the Suns. Of course, Durant's deal was not finally reached. The Suns will almost certainly need to get rid of Durant's $54.7 million salary next season to make room for new coach Jordan Ott's roster revamp. Durant himself also hopes to play for an NBA championship contender. After winning 51 games and advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks look forward to enhancing their competitiveness through signings.

Yahoo reporter Casselberry said a seemingly easy-to-match deal might involve Towns. Towns will earn $53.14 million next season. But Towns has at least one year left on the contract ($57.07 million in 2026-27), and then there are player options for the 2027-28 season (worth $61.01 million).

famous reporter Sidery analyzed another trading possibility. "The reasonable framework for the Knicks and Suns to develop on the Durant trade during the season may include Anunobi and Mitchell Robinson. The two combined with a veteran base salary can match the deal for both sides. Durant's salary this season is $51.1 million, while Anunobi and Mitchell Robinson are $50.9 million."

It's interesting that Durant's former teammate Zhu Meng once talked about the Knicks on the podcast. Zhui Meng said: "They can't win the championship yet. If they want to win the championship, the Knicks need to introduce a very outstanding player. I can't say the specific name. If the Knicks want to win the championship, they need an amazing player. I can only say so much... They need an amazing player, and the specific operation has nothing to do with me." Some fans speculated that Zhui Meng said that the very outstanding player Durant was.

However, famous reporter Shams added that the Knicks need to increase the depth of the lineup, but this may be difficult to achieve if they try to trade to get Durant. Any existing roster depth of the team may need to be used to facilitate the deal, as they have previously sent five first-round picks to get Mikal Bridges. The Suns also faced similar lineup depth issues after getting Durant and Bradley Bill.

Previously, it was reported that the Suns were closer to reaching a deal with the Warriors before the trade deadline, but Durant made it clear that he did not want to return to his old club. He himself intervened in the negotiations to prevent the transaction from happening.