Odds Against Kevin Durant & Kyrie Irving Joining Knicks for 2019-20 Season
- Oddsmakers believe Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will not sign with the Knicks this summer
- Will Durant remain in Golden State to chase another championship?
- Is the Celtics’ recent success enough to keep Irving in Boston?
The Knicks traded Kristaps Porzingis to the Mavericks on January 31st for the purpose of freeing up enough salary cap to pursue a pair of marquee free agents this summer.
Knicks fans have bravely suffered for so long. I hope the basketball gods deliver Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
— Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey) January 31, 2019
Their bold move made sense in principle, but at least one sportsbook believes it’s going to blow up in their face. Sportsbooks have released eye-opening new odds which suggest that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will spurn the Knicks in free agency. The franchise has long coveted both All-Stars, and failing to secure one, or both of them, would represent a cataclysmic failure.
Sportsbooks have been wrong before, but the odds are so heavily stacked against the Knicks that James Dolan may want to consider calling Mark Cuban to beg for a do-over.
Let’s examine the props available for both players to see where the value lies.
Odds Kevin Durant Will Be a Knick for Game 1 of the 2019-20 Season
| Will Kevin Durant Be on The Knicks for Game 1 of the 2019-20 Season? | Odds (02/05/19) |
|---|---|
| No | -250 |
| Yes | +170 |
If you were Kevin Durant would you really leave the greatest basketball team in modern NBA history just to run pick and rolls with Luke Kornet? That’s the harsh reality KD would be facing if he left Golden State, where he has the luxury of sharing the court with four fellow All-Stars and two of the greatest sharpshooters in the game.
The Warriors’ starters – Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, DeMarcus Cousins – have a combined 25 All-Star selections. pic.twitter.com/3y1w04WG8k
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) January 29, 2019
Sure, he may have to put up with the occasional tirade from Draymond Green and he may not be “the man” every night, but he can continue to enhance his legacy by adding even more championship and NBA Finals MVP trophies to his already overflowing mantle.
“To play basketball in there? It’s a dream come true, man.”
Kevin Durant during his Chase Center tour w/ Quinn Cook and Rick Welts (via @ChaseCenter)pic.twitter.com/qdFP9LdZEY
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) December 13, 2018
Not only do the Warriors have the resources to pay Durant what he’s worth, but they’ll also be moving into a new billion-dollar, state of the art arena next season. Durant couldn’t ask for a better playground to showcase his world class skills.
Count on him staying in the Bay Area for at least one more season to pursue what will likely be his fourth championship in four years.
Pick: No -250
Odds Kyrie Irving Will Be a Knick for Game 1 of the 2019-20 Season
| Will Kyrie Irving Be on The Knicks for Game 1 of the 2019-20 Season? | Odds (02/05/19) |
|---|---|
| No | -200 |
| Yes | +150 |
The “Kyrie to New York” rumors were cranked up to 11 in late December, and for good reason. The Celtics were just 18-13 at the time, and were fresh off a three-game losing streak in which they looked disinterested and disengaged.
Boston has since shaken off those mid-winter blues and has won nine of its last 10 games, including resounding victories over Toronto and Oklahoma City. Irving is averaging 29.7 points, 10.1 assists and two steals over that span and has been unquestionably the best player on one of the NBA’s best teams.
Kyrie Irving has so many moves ? pic.twitter.com/S9HaolZ9ku
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) February 3, 2019
The Celtics are set up not only to win this year, but to win big in the years to come, thanks to their enviable young core and their treasure trove of draft picks.
Anthony Davis is under contract next season. He may have requested a trade now, but the Pelicans, if they’re smart, will simply wait until this summer to trade him to the Celtics. Nobody can beat what Boston can offer.
— Moke Hamilton (@MokeHamilton) January 28, 2019
No team has more quality assets to offer in a potential trade, making Boston a likely destination for a franchise-altering superstar like Anthony Davis. Boston may not be among the handful of teams he would consider re-upping with, but that doesn’t mean that Dany Ainge wouldn’t swing for the fences and hope to convince him to stay afterwards, as the Raptors did with Kawhi Leonard.
Danny Ainge has encouraged the Pelicans to wait until the offseason to negotiate with the Celtics. Boston remains determined to try and partner Anthony Davis with Kyrie Irving for long-term, but plans to pursue AD regardless of Irving’s free agency plans, per sources. https://t.co/Ft8rfe9EBZ
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 5, 2019
Irving can be a tough player to read, but if he’s as serious about winning as he insists he is, he’ll remain in Boston to pursue the franchise’s 18th championship.
Pick: No -200
Ryan worked as an Editor and resident Lead NBA and MLB Writer for SB from 2017-19. He has authored his own weekly columns for Fox Sports and AskMen, and has created successful campaigns for the WWE, the NHL, and the NFL. Ryan's critically acclaimed stories have been published in 20 books.
