NBA Rumors: New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers Could Fail To Sign Max Free Agent In 2019 Summer

The New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers were supposed to be the biggest winners of the summer. Maybe that will still be the case, but the two franchises are no longer the favorites to sign the NBA’s best free agents.

Kevin Durant to the Knicks once seemed like a certainty. The Clippers were viewed as the most likely landing spot for Kawhi Leonard throughout the regular season.

That changed in the playoffs when Durant ruptured his Achilles and Leonard led the Toronto Raptors past Durant’s Golden State Warriors to win the 2019 NBA Finals.

Durant’s former teammate Kendrick Perkins said on “The Jump” Friday that the Brooklyn Nets are the frontrunners to sign Durant. Brian Windhorst noted that others in the NBA agree with that assessment. Just about every rumor suggests that Kyrie Irving is headed to the Nets, who have made several trades in order to clear enough salary cap space to sign two max free agents.

Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes reported Sunday that Leonard will opt out of the final year of his contract, as expected, noting that rival executives believe Toronto is the favorite to sign the reigning NBA Finals MVP.

The Knicks are not only hoping to sign Durant, but they also believe they’ll get a meeting with Leonard this offseason. The Clippers have had designs of signing both players.

New York traded Kristaps Porzingis in January in order to sign two max free agents. It’s been widely reported that Plan A for the Knicks involved landing both Durant and Irving. Acquiring both Durant and Kemba Walker has also been on the team’s wish-list.

The Charlotte Hornets are big favorites to keep Walker. Irving seems all but certain to join the Nets. If the Knicks don’t get Durant or Leonard, they are expected to pass on giving out any max contracts, signing players to short-term deals and saving their cap space for the future.

The Clippers are looking less likely to land an All-Star in free agency with Leonard seriously considering staying in Toronto. Jimmy Butler has been speculated as a target for Los Angeles, but the Philadelphia 76ers have the best chance to ink the free agent to a long-term contract.

Los Angeles could use their cap space to sign lesser free agents and be one of the league’s best teams next year. The Clippers won 48 games without an All-Star in the 2018-2019 season.

The Knicks were the NBA’s worst team this past season, and they might very well be in the running to hold that title for a second straight year.