It has seemed a given throughout the NBA that Kevin Durant and the Knicks will unite in a still hard to understand marriage next month when he hits free agency. Whispers abound in the league that this is a done deal, the best offensive player in the NBA and arguably the best player will come to Madison Square Garden to change the long-struggling fortunes of the franchise.
Yet, the Knicks must wonder if they will be jilted in free agency once again. You can recite the names of the stars who left them waiting at the altar in years past _ including Durant three years ago.
But the thing is, unlike the chase of Durant and LeBron James before him, there is another option. Kawhi Leonard is not just a free agent whose status is just as filled with uncertainty as Durant's, maybe more. And he can lay claim, like Durant, to also being the best player in the game.
This time, the Knicks are not pushing all of their chips _ or max salary slots _ into the pursuit of one player. According to a source with knowledge of their plans the team is expected to push hard for Leonard when free agency begins on June 30 at 6 p.m.
While Durant's flirtation with New York has been immersed in talk of branding deals and production opportunities, there is a contingent in the Knicks front office that is enamored not just with Leonard's two-way talents on the court, but with the fact that he would bring little drama with him.
Leonard is a star without seeking the spotlight. He is a polite, but bland interview. The only controversy of his career came in his parting from the San Antonio Spurs, with whom he had maintained he wanted to spend his entire career, yet his most notable quote in the aftermath of that was a laugh that went viral.
There has been precedent for silent stars in New York. It is hard to recall what Derek Jeter sounded like from his playing days with the Yankees. Eli Manning has spent 15 seasons giving monotone interviews while collecting a couple of Super Bowl trophies. Even Patrick Ewing, while he was available in every postgame session, it was hard to pry anything of interest from in his days playing for the Knicks.
If Durant is a soap opera and Kyrie Irving is a viral meme brought to life, Leonard is a National Geographic documentary without a word spoken. When Leonard came to New York in February he was asked what he thought about the city, and how the fans were still coming out and shouting their support even as the franchise was slogging through the worst season in franchise history.
"Yeah, they still come out and support the team even with a losing record," Leonard said. "That's what you want I guess from an organization if you're playing for them."
He has never had to test that in his career. In his eight seasons in the NBA, no one team he has ever been on has failed to make the playoffs, and he has been to three Finals. If he wants to win, certainly joining the 17-65 Knicks, or whatever is left on the roster if the Knicks pay out two max contracts, is not the easiest path.
The Clippers have been the favorites to bring Leonard aboard with rumors abounding of his desire to return home to Southern California. With a talented young nucleus that made the playoffs this season, Leonard could be a difference maker there and create a team that could challenge for the championship _ just as he has done in Toronto this season.
The Raptors took a gamble on a trade for him and it has paid off even with the possibility of being one-and-done as he has brought them to their first Finals. Toronto _ the city, not just the franchise _ is certainly doing its part to keep him north of the border.
The troubles with San Antonio dealing with Leonard's nagging quad injury have been alleviated in Toronto where the Raptors created a load management program and stuck to it _ allowing him to rise in the postseason where he has not missed a game even if some nights he looks like Willis Reed hobbling onto the floor. If Reed's iconic moment was making his way out of the tunnel at MSG (Game 7, 1970 Finals) and hitting a pair of stiff-legged jumpers, Leonard has already been the subject of murals and posters across Canada for his series-deciding, four-bounce buzzer beater against Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference finals.
The streets of Toronto are not just adorned with huge images of Leonard, but bars and restaurants have signs welcoming him with "KaWine and Dine," promising him that he can eat for free if he stays with the Raptors. A twitter hashtag has emerged _ #kawhiyoushouldstay _ with fans pleading their case. There have been rumors that Leonard has bought property in Toronto, raising belief that he will stay, at least for another or two.
It certainly will be a hard sell for the Knicks. Leonard does have connections to the area _ he spent much of his rehab in New York during his final season with the Spurs working out in New Jersey while staying close with his uncle, who lives in South Orange.
But again, he has been a part of the postseason every year. If he wants to win, that's certainly the same consideration that Durant will have to make _ leaving a championship contender for a chance to be the centerpiece of a rebuild.
Asked during his trip to New York what would go into his decision he said, "Just playing the season right now. Just talk to people, just see what I want to do."
Leonard's skills on the court certainly give the Knicks reason to pursue him. That boring, safe quote explains why the Knicks would love him to be their next franchise player.
