Kemba Walker took seriously the idea of ​​signing with the Knicks, thinking that “they would take another player”

The extent of the New York Knicks’ failure to sign a star free agent during the 2019 off-season is often somewhat limited to just Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Yes, those were their two main goals, but there were plenty of other superstars available last summer that they missed. One, Kemba Walker, is originally from New York. However, when it came time to make his decision, he committed Cardinal New York’s sin of signing with Boston, although as he revealed on The Ringer’s R2C2 podcast, he took the Knicks seriously.

He revealed that “The Knicks were definitely a priority at one point,” but New York’s inability to attract a co-star is what ultimately drove him to Boston. “Before Boston came, the Knicks were one of my priorities because I thought they would have another player,” Walker said. “But it did not work.”

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Walker is directly asked if that player was Kevin Durant and, while he said no, he laughed at his answer. During the 2018-19 season, rumors circulated that Durant was destined for New York, but in an appearance on Showtime’s All the Smoke in February, Durant said the hype was over the top. “This is the media claiming that (sucks),” Durant said. “I never went out and never said anything about wanting to play for the Knicks, ever. Never.”

“It wasn’t like I had anything against the Knicks. I just didn’t like all that attention when I was playing for another team. I was never really great at that New York thing. It was just everyone else, the media, the fans. Knick fans, they wanted a superstar to come and play for them at last. I never promised anyone I would play for the Knicks. “

Now, even if Durant wasn’t taking the Knicks seriously, that doesn’t necessarily mean Walker knew. Durant has largely remained silent from the radio after breaking his Achilles tendon during the NBA Finals. The Nets telegraphed their intention to sign two superstars when they created the space to do so by trading Allen Crabbe on June 7, and reports had already essentially confirmed that Irving was planning to sign with Brooklyn. But Durant’s free will was more suspense. It was only in the last few days before the frenzy began that the Nets seemed to have won. ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported that Durant received a recruiting call from Kawhi Leonard just days before the start of free will. The Nets, on paper, didn’t seem to be a certainty, and if Walker hadn’t heard from Durant, it would have been justified to trust the months of news that had linked the former Finals MVP to the Knicks.

Even though Durant himself wasn’t interested in the Knicks, the elimination process suggests that’s really what Walker was talking about. The Knicks have never been tied to Jimmy Butler, who agreed to join the Miami Heat on day one of free agency. It didn’t seem like there was much of a chance for Khris Middleton or Klay Thompson to leave their teams. Kristaps Porzingis was limited, but I think we’re safe to assume he wasn’t interested in a Knicks offer sheet. The only other star on the market was Leonard, with whom the Knicks would cancel a match because they knew they didn’t have much chance of signing him and wanted to focus on other free agents. If we exclude Irving because of the position, Durant is the only logical option.

It is unclear if Walker had any real reason to believe Durant would have wanted to collaborate with him in New York. There have been rumors for months about the Durant-Irving partnership. Their friendship was the talk of All-Star Weekend. The weeks when Irving looked destined for Brooklyn and Durant’s future were less certain suggest he could have kept an open mind, but he didn’t even meet the Knicks. He may have considered them at some point, but when he achieved free will, everything he did and said suggests they were out of the game.

If anything, Walker may have fallen victim to the same disappointments as the Knicks. They spent months acting like getting two star free agents was a certainty. They traded Porzingins, a star in its own right, to create the cork space to do so. James Dolan went on the radio and practically called his shot. Without knowing for sure, Walker might have read those tea leaves and assumed they knew Durant was coming. It obviously wasn’t.

Walker ended up signing with Boston. Despite his New York heritage, the decision was undoubtedly the right one. Boston is lined up for seed no. 3 of the Eastern Conference. They will be contenders for years to come behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The future of New York is much less certain. They haven’t been in the playoffs for six years and no future free agency coup seems imminent. Walker spent the first eight seasons of his career losing to Charlotte. He deserved to play for a winner, and he did.

And honestly? The Knicks are better off avoiding Walker too. Little point guards don’t tend to age well. Walker is 30 years old and is currently working out knee problems. Given their younger roster and relatively modest immediate ambitions, having a 30-year-old point guard ready to win right away doesn’t really make sense. If they got another star, Walker would have been a wonderful helper. But given where both sides have gone, Walker joining the Celtics seems like the best decision for everyone.