What the Knicks are doing with Durant, the top free agent on the market, is actually quite clever; they have the home court advantage with Durant being in New York the past week and Carmelo serving as ambassador/tour guide/friend.

Everyone else must wait until July 1st to recruit Durant but the Knicks, via Carmelo, get a head start. All's fair in love, war and free agency.

Carmelo Anthony ‘reinvigorated’ in Knicks with Derrick Rose
"I do consider myself part of the Knicks," Anthony told ESPN on Monday, "so that meeting has already taken place."

Rest assured that this has gotten the attention of Oklahoma City front office, which has been on the lookout for possible tampering violations all season. Thunder president Sam Presti is always two steps ahead of everyone.

In fact, there was a photo circulating in recent days that appears to show Durant out on the town with a training staff member of the Westchester Knicks. That's a no-no.

But Carmelo wining, dining and hooping with Durant is perfectly legal. And it gives Phil the perfect alibi. He's like the Godfather, only less charming.

In theory, Durant is having his meeting with the Knicks at this very moment. It's been a week-long recruiting visit. Maybe that's why the Knicks have yet to be included among the teams Durant plans to meet with when free agency begins at 12:01 a.m. on July 1st. OKC, Golden State, San Antonio, Boston, Miami and the Clippers have already secured sit downs. But not the Knicks.

"Obviously they have a good team now with D-Rose, Melo and (Kristaps) Porzingis," Durant said on Monday, "so I will talk to my team and we will figure things out."

That sounds like a nice way of saying "I'll get back to you" when the guy has no intention of getting back to you.

How's this for a theory; the Knicks already know Durant is a pipe dream and Phil, whose ego is as big as Durant's, doesn't want to be part of a dog and pony show.

You can't blame Phil for that. There are other moves that need to he made and perhaps he doesn't want to be held up waiting for Durant to make official something Jackson and the Knicks already know.

This is why if you're the Knicks and you can't sign Durant you hope for him to do what many expect; return to OKC on a two-year deal with a one-year opt out. Under that scenario, Durant becomes a free agent in 12 months and it allows the Knicks to become a more attractive destination point.

Yes, Carmelo will be a year older but Porzingis will be a year wiser. The Knicks, who get Derrick Rose on a one-year rental, could make a run at point guard Kyle Lowry and sign Durant. FYI: Durant, Lowry and Anthony are Olympic teammates.

A person close to Durant says that in February the teams being targeted by Team Durant are the same teams he's scheduled meetings with in July. Nothing has changed.

If Knicks are shutout, it's not an abject failure. On the contrary, they're really set up for next summer when LeBron James could be free and Russell Westbrook will be available.

And if things go the way many believe they will, Durant will be a free agent again. And not only do the Knicks get a meeting but maybe they're actually in the running.

And Phil will have to thank Carmelo for laying the groundwork.

Next summer is the big FA crop - that's the time to make the splash.

This is the year to make the case to get into a FA's consideration.

nychamp wrote:I'm not including Rose in the 3-4 year plan by any means at this point, but I completely agree with your last 2 paragraphs. Rose is a check it out this year situation. No attachments either way. See what happens and if the Knicks and him see things the same afterwards then let's do what makes sense. If not, thanks a ton and a sincere best of luck and then go after Westbrook or Lowry, among others, next offseason.

nychamp wrote:I'm not including Rose in the 3-4 year plan by any means at this point, but I completely agree with your last 2 paragraphs. Rose is a check it out this year situation. No attachments either way. See what happens and if the Knicks and him see things the same afterwards then let's do what makes sense. If not, thanks a ton and a sincere best of luck and then go after Westbrook or Lowry, among others, next offseason.

No he's not a check it out. His cap hold is 30+ million. You'd have to renounce his bird rights and eat into your own cap to keep him. which would be stupid to do, unless it's a short-term sweetheart deal, and even then...

nychamp wrote:I also found myself agreeing with the article and thinking it was the first cogent thing that Isola has written in quite a while.

If the list we've read in the press is accurate, its no big surprise that that the Knicks aren't on it. New coach, gutted roster, starting PG in questionable health. Knicks have a season to fill out the roster, prove that Rose is healthy and playing well, and Hornacek has a good handle on things.

EnySpree wrote:My thing is when do we start actually winning for today? Everything is next year and 3 years from now.... the Knicks have an opportunity to win in 2016. Get down or lay down

Yes - try to win as much as they can this year. I mean, what does that look like? 45 games? 50 games?

It's enough to get them to the level where a big FA might consider them. Not enough to actually contend this year.

We're talking about winning more to convince bigger FA we can win.

home33 wrote:

EnySpree wrote:My thing is when do we start actually winning for today? Everything is next year and 3 years from now.... the Knicks have an opportunity to win in 2016. Get down or lay down

buddy - you win from within. impatient fans are why dolan "starphucked" the team into the 6th circle of hell. sounds like you're "laying down" for mediocrity and treadmilling. I'm getting down for home-grown brew, something to be proud about. Not this circle-jerk Super-Friends 4-year plan fiasco the league has turned into.

my "thing" is I'd like contention for a decade, not 2 years. As a fan, I have integrity. I don't wanna freaking poach players, I don't wanna collude, I don't wanna see guys flopping on MY court.

Knicks need to completely rebuild. But they won't. Look at the Wolves...no one's laughing now.

but they have been laughing for decades and the jury still out. Next year they'll still be completing to not make the lottery.

I don't quite understand the notion of completely rebuild. What didn't the Knicks do to get that status besides resign Melo? Multiple years in the lottery?

martin wrote:

home33 wrote:

EnySpree wrote:My thing is when do we start actually winning for today? Everything is next year and 3 years from now.... the Knicks have an opportunity to win in 2016. Get down or lay down

buddy - you win from within. impatient fans are why dolan "starphucked" the team into the 6th circle of hell. sounds like you're "laying down" for mediocrity and treadmilling. I'm getting down for home-grown brew, something to be proud about. Not this circle-jerk Super-Friends 4-year plan fiasco the league has turned into.

my "thing" is I'd like contention for a decade, not 2 years. As a fan, I have integrity. I don't wanna freaking poach players, I don't wanna collude, I don't wanna see guys flopping on MY court.

Knicks need to completely rebuild. But they won't. Look at the Wolves...no one's laughing now.

but they have been laughing for decades and the jury still out. Next year they'll still be completing to not make the lottery.

I don't quite understand the notion of completely rebuild. What didn't the Knicks do to get that status besides resign Melo? Multiple years in the lottery?

They've been laughing at the team that was run worse than the Knicks and has a running meme of "KHANNNN!"?

Yea...and? They couldn't draft to save their lives. They've learned from being stupid. They got rid of idiotic front office employees. The owner's less involved. A half-blind dog could see they have the brightest future in the NBA. They can do whatever they want. The world is their oyster.

I don't understand your last sentence at all. Do you not understand the concept of rebuild? The Knicks gave up lottery picks? And sucked. Don't do that for starters? 2017 Draft > 2017 FA.

You win from within. That's the concept.