vonleh at the five is about as useful as kornet as the four…

Super confusing lineups there.

I’m really spending a lot of time on a scenario that has no greater than a 14% chance of happening.

Yeah, I was thinking that, too!

I’ve honestly written off all possibility of Zion. I think even if we win the lottery we’d just trade him for Anthony Davis anyway.

That’s bad for Zion.

I get it now. I guess Durant could potentially take a 2-year deal (which would make it more likely he’d receive a 4-year max in the summer of 2021), which would give the Knicks two years of a competitive team, and then nice cap space for 2021 in preparation of maxing out Zion (i.e. he turns into an actual superstar) and being capped out through the middle of the decade.

I’m really spending a lot of time on a scenario that has no greater than a 14% chance of happening.

Even Barrett would theoretically fit very well with Durant and Kyrie, he would be the 3rd offensive option and wouldn’t be asked to do too much, and he seems to be a strong defender when he’s engaged which could help offset a bit of Kyrie’s deficiencies on that end. It could very well end up being a terrific offensive lineup if Barrett can shoot threes well, and he’s clearly a talented shooter even if the numbers aren’t good right now.

There’s a number of scenarios where it could all end up working out very well, but they all depend on one of two very good things happening, either Zion or the top free agents. I know we’re peobably just setting ourselves up for disappointment, but oh well, there’s still 20 games left on this dead season so let’s not be too hard on ourselves.

DeAndre Jordan remains out with an ankle injury. Noah Vonleh will start again at center against Orlando. The rest of the lineup will remain the same as it was against San Antonio.

vonleh at the five is about as useful as kornet as the four…

But I also don’t think that signing Durant and Kyrie would do anything bad for Zion.

Not in terms of his development.

But you said:

I’m just looking at February 2023 and wondering how exceptional Durant would have be re: longevity for him to be worth the $43.8M he’s eligible to make that year.

That’s bad for Zion.

Without Zion, I’m willing to write off year 4 (maybe even year 3) of that contract if Durant gives us two peak seasons. But with him, 4 years to a 31 year old makes less sense.

Tonight’s game will be interesting. Orlando is in the playoff mix and definitely wants to win. Their PGs should not be able to keep DSJ out of the paint, and it looks like he and Dotson are building some chemistry. I think we lose, but hope he takes another step forward. I also think Knox vs. Gordon is an interesting matchup.

So with Durant, a second good FA overpay, Mitch and, say, Zion…or if not Zion then another draft find, plus a burgeoning DSJ and/or and/or Dotson and/or Trier and/or reclamation project…Durant’s and the 2nd FA’s overpay can be balanced out. For me, it’s pretty much a no-brainer to sign Durant at any pure $ price IF you don’t empty the cupboard for AD or anyone else. At worst, I see his decline being something like Kareem’s, where he’ll pick his spots more and still dominate for stretches when needed.

I mean that we prioritized Melo’s short timeline instead of Porzingis’ long one, making deals like the Williams, Afflalo, Noah, Lee contracts instead of gathering assets for the long haul once it became apparent that young Porzingis was a better horse to hitch our wagon to than declining Melo.

Ah, understood. I agree, just didn’t link it to Melo’s timeline, which is totally fair and accurate. I just see Dolan as always in win-first mode, no matter who’s on the roster.

But I also don’t think that signing Durant and Kyrie would do anything bad for Zion. He’d be lucky to have such talent around him, and as we’ve seen, he’s really good at keeping his eyes up when double-teamed. I think he’d be an awesome fit with a great shooting team, which Kyrie and Durant certainly would be.

Kyrie, a 2nd-grader, Durant, Zion and Mitch would almost certainly be the best NYK starting five of the modern era. It would be lob city WITH two long-range bombers around the arc. Hell, you could throw Ntilikina in and tell him to take no more than 3 shots per game, still a top-3 offense.