NEW YORK _ Things are going so well in the NBA these days that a player can turn down a $100 million contract offer and it is regarded as a sensible financial decision.
That's what Jimmy Butler did this week when the Minnesota Timberwolves presented him with a four-year deal. Butler is betting on himself that he'll be healthy and productive next season and by next July he could command a five-year, $180 million contract from the Wolves.
Or a four-year, $140 contract from other team. The Knicks, for example.
The free-agent summer of 2018 has been a rewarding one for the Knicks even though they haven't signed one top-flight free agent and were never in the conversation for LeBron James.
The Knicks are winners because Kyrie Irving is not signing an extension with the Boston Celtics this summer and will be a free agent next July. (And those reports you hear about Kyrie wanting to join the Knicks are gaining traction.)
The player Kyrie wants to play with just happens to be Butler, who had Knicks fans buzzing when he "liked" a comment on social media that said he and Kyrie should join forces in New York. "I'm not sure Butler is on the Knicks' radar and I'm not sure the Knicks are on his radar," says a person close to Butler. "At least now."
There are worse things than a roster that includes Butler, Kyrie, a healthy Kristaps Porzingis, Kevin Knox, next year's first round (lottery) pick and Frank Ntilikina.
The Knicks, believe it or not, are thinking bigger. The most interesting development of this offseason is that Kevin Durant elected to re-sign with Golden State with the understanding that he will be a free agent again next summer.
That's also a smart financial decision for Durant because if he elects to re-sign with the Warriors he could break the bank. But he also has the option of moving on. Maybe that's to Los Angeles with LeBron. Or perhaps an image makeover by returning to Oklahoma City.
The other choice would be New York, which would be a stroke of marketing genius for Durant as he joins Porzingis and potentially Kyrie as well.
There were whispers during the season that Durant was quietly exploring his options and wasn't entirely ruling out leaving Golden State after this past season. But when you win another title as well as another Finals MVP the prudent move is to stay put.
There are two things to watch for next season. If the Warriors don't three-peat that would be the ideal time for Durant to leave. However, Golden State is also moving into their brand new San Francisco arena for the start of the 2019-20 season. They have every intention of keeping Durant.
But Durant, like "the Earth is flat" Kyrie, can be a little flakey and unpredictable. For the Knicks' sake, that's a good thing.
"I really feel like we'll have the bricks in place to make some big moves," says head coach David Fizdale.
