Although Kyrie Irving has been heavily linked to the Brooklyn Nets, Skip Bayless still believes the All-Star point guard and fellow superstar Kevin Durant ultimately will land with the New York Knicks in free agency this NBA offseason.
Bayless explained Thursday on FS1’s “Undisputed” why he believes the decorated tandem will lean toward the Knicks despite the Nets clearing enough salary cap space for two max contracts and Irving reportedly eyeing Brooklyn after parting ways with his longtime agent, Jeff Wechsler, in favor of Jay Z’s Roc Nation.
“Do I think (Irving) is going to pair up with another really moody superstar in Kevin Durant, with either the Knicks or Nets? I do,” Bayless said. “And I still believe that even though the Nets are much better run than the Knicks are, clearly, I still think that Kevin will lean Knicks. That’s just a gut feeling I have, because Kevin knows how much it would mean for him, and also obviously Kyrie, to put the Knicks back on the map. … I just got a feeling they would lean that direction. So I don’t think all these Roc Nation connections mean absolutely they’re going to Brooklyn.”
Irving reportedly will test free agency after opting out of his contract with the Boston Celtics. Durant can opt out of his contract with the Golden State Warriors and do the same, although the ruptured Achilles he suffered during Game 5 of the NBA Finals certainly complicates his situation.
Nevertheless, there’s long been speculation Irving and Durant might link up in free agency this summer, and both the Nets and Knicks have been floated as potential destinations. As for which New York team will hit the jackpot, well, that’s anyone’s guess at this point.
