Jim Dolan Wouldn't Offer Kevin Durant Max, Yikes

After Kevin Durant chose to sign with the Brooklyn Nets, it was always going to be interesting to see what happened with the Knicks, who were a rumored destination for him all season. But this report from Ramona Shelburne and Woj is remarkable:

The Knicks and owner Jim Dolan were not prepared to offer Kevin Durant a full max contract due to concerns over his recovery from the Achilles injury, league sources tell me and @wojespn. Knicks officials are in Los Angeles tonight, meeting with free agents such as Julius Randle.
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) June 30, 2019

Yes, Durant is going to miss most or all of next season, but the fact that smart teams like the Clippers and Warriors would’ve loved to offer KD the max tells you all you need to know here. The Knicks’ whole season — trading Kristaps Porzingis, clearing cap space, and tanking — is going to leave them holding an empty bag.

Shelburne broached the possibility on The Jump that maybe the Knicks inferred that KD wasn’t going to go there, and pulled the idea of bringing him there in a kind of preemptive breakup. Whatever the case may be, the Knicks are a ling time away from competing.