Knicks fail to land prized All-Star free agents, so where do they go from here?
NEW YORK — For months, free agency provided the next beacon of hope for New York the Knicks. Stars like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving would be available. This would be the Knicks' chance to add some of the top players in the NBA, subsequently transforming from a bottom-feeder to a contender.
The Knicks took steps to prepare. They traded Kristaps Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks in January, unloading the contracts of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee along with him, clearing enough salary cap space for two max contracts.
They created financial flexibility, something the Knicks haven't been used to.
But the top targets were clear. The Knicks were hoping for stars.
That free agency dream, for both the Knicks and their fans, ended quickly.
More than an hour before NBA free agency officially started on Sunday, the report broke: Durant was heading to the Knicks' cross-town rival, the Brooklyn Nets.
MORE FROM FREE AGENCY
- BREAKDOWN: Winners and losers from first day of free agency
- FREE AGENT TRACKER: Analysis on all the big player moves
- NEXT STEP: Kyrie fulfills a dream, but needs to work on legacy
- BROOKLYN BOUND: KD's risky move to make Nets relevant again
It had already been reported that Irving was headed there also.
The Knicks didn't even get a chance to have a face-to-face meeting to sell them on the organization, to pitch them on their plans.
Losing both players stung. Losing them to the Nets stung even more.
No one knows exactly how it will go for Brooklyn. Irving can be a difficult personality in the locker room. That reputation continues to follow him after the Boston Celtics' chemistry issues last season.
The Nets, who have been vocal about their new culture, have to hope they can get Irving to buy in.
Durant is recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon. It's a notoriously difficult injury to come back from. There's no guarantee he'll be the same player he was before suffering the tear.
The Nets have to hope he can be close.
If it all goes well, if Irving meshes with his new teammates and Durant returns to his pre-injury form, then Brooklyn will be a force in the Eastern Conference.
The Nets went 42-40 last season, earning a spot in the playoffs as the No. 6 seed. They clearly became an appealing destination for top free agents in the process.
The Knicks, meanwhile, are on a different path. After going 17-65, their rebuild continues.
“While we understand that some Knicks fans could be disappointed with tonight’s news," team president Steve Mills said in a statement, "we continue to be upbeat and confident in our plans to rebuild the Knicks to compete for championships in the future, through the draft, targeted free agents and continuing to build around our core of young players.”
The Knicks pivoted quickly Sunday to shore up parts of their roster.
They added forwards Julius Randle, Bobby Portis and Taj Gibson. They brought on wings Reggie Bullock and Wayne Ellington, as well as point guard Elfrid Payton, on Monday.
Five of those players will be given two-year contracts with team options. Randle received a three-year deal with a team option for the final season.
That will help the Knicks maintain their financial flexibility for the future.
In the meantime, the Knicks' only choice is to keep building. They have a young core in Kevin Knox, RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson and Dennis Smith Jr. They have to develop those players, and hope that eventually, they can form the nucleus of a good team.
Only time will tell if they can make that happen.