Waiting on Kevin Durant Is a Classic Knicks Mistake

Once upon a time, the New York Knicks banked on getting the best player in the NBA, LeBron James, through free agency. They threw in the towel for two seasons while trading away young assets, future draft picks and capable veterans in order to clear cap space. You know, because that's what delusional, severely flawed, incapable franchises do.

How were they repaid?

Not only did LeBron James sign with the Miami Heat in the summer of 2010, but he also took the next two biggest free agents at the time—Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh—with him. That trio went to four straight NBA Finals, winning two of them.

The Knicks? They won one playoff series over that four-year span and have recently reverted back to being bottom-feeders in the Eastern Conference, winning a franchise-worst 17 games last season. And they still weren't bad enough to land the No. 1 pick, further showcasing their awful luck.

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The moral of the story is that while the Knicks bet big on free agency, they lost even bigger. Not only did they miss out on the stars in 2010, but they overpaid for Amar'e Stoudemire, who was injured far too often to live up to his $100 million price tag. In fact, Stoudemire missed 31.2 percent of his five seasons due to injury and started only 62.7 percent of the games he actually played.

When the dust cleared, all of the Knicks' mistakes were glaring.

They gave away Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph, two veterans who are still playing at high levels on playoff teams right now and would start on the 2015-16 Knicks. They dealt away Jordan Hill and a 2012 first-round pick for a hobbled and washed up Tracy McGrady. 

The bottom line is that cap room is the most overvalued thing in the NBA, and it hardly ever works out the way teams envision it will.

You don't need to look much further than the Knicks' latest offseason for proof, when they spent over $30 million in cap space on Robin Lopez, Arron Afflalo, Derrick Williams and Kyle O'Quinn. 

Which brings us to Kevin Durant.

While it would be nice for the Knicks to accompany Carmelo Anthony, a lethal offensive force, with the four-time scoring champion Durant, gambling everything they have for the chance isn't the right way to go.

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After all, the Knicks were just passed over by marquee free agents such as Marc Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge, and even lost second-tier free agent Greg Monroe to the small-market Milwaukee Bucks. There's just no evidence that says Durant would choose the Knicks even if they had skin in the game and a chance to reel him in.

Stephen A. Smith has reported that Anthony is recruiting Durant "until the cows come home."

Still, it has yet to be proven that Anthony is capable of bringing in another superstar to join him at Madison Square Garden. After all, Anthony's best friends in the league—James, Wade and Chris Paul—all opted to play elsewhere when given the choice.

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Even with cap space, would Durant choose to play with Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis instead of Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka, or over the young tandem of John Wall and Bradley Beal with his hometown Wizards?

Even imagining a worst-case scenario for the Thunder this season, in which a number of players were hurt and they missed the playoffs again, Durant is unlikely to be traded during the year. That's probably even better for the Knicks, because if he demanded a trade and were placed on the block, the Knicks would be tempted to give everything they have left to acquire him.

The smart play would be for the Knicks to keep doing what they're doing.

No, Knicks president Phil Jackson didn't land a top free agent, and that's likely why he's being paid $60 million. And although their offseason was far more boring than expected, they took the baby steps necessary to improve upon their 17-win season and creep back toward respectability. 

Their free agency included overpaying for a known commodity in Lopez, inking an older swingman in Afflalo and taking two (pretty expensive, all things considered) fliers on reserves Williams and O'Quinn.

The good news, however, is that the Knicks had a great draft.

By drafting Porzingis at No. 4 and trading away Tim Hardaway Jr. for Notre Dame point guard Jerian Grant, the Knicks upgraded and got younger at two positions of need. Their route was much wiser than reaching on wild card Emmanuel Mudiay at No. 4 on draft night. 

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Personally, I think Porzingis is going to be a star, as he's freakishly talented on the offensive end of the floor and looks like a gigantic Ray Allen coming off screens and nailing threes. Grant has size and playmaking ability, possessing the vision required to make teammates better and the skill to break down defenses.

The young duo may not turn the Knicks into a playoff team this season, but with time, they'll become an excellent foundation for sustained success.

If Durant comes to the Knicks as a free agent, that's icing on the cake. Next summer, they should go as hard as they can for him and make a huge play to sign him. After all, they are still a premier basketball destination and would have Anthony and presumably two young assets to try to lure him to the Big Apple. 

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The mistake would be making moves this season in order to make a chance at Durant more feasible. These moves hardly ever work out. Looking around the league last summer, you'll see the Sacramento Kings dealing away 2014 lottery pick Nik Stauskas for absolutely nothing besides cap space, with which they did very little to improve their squad.

For a team with as few assets as the Knicks, keeping their draft picks and young players is crucial toward building a contender.

My gut tells me that Jackson has this franchise headed in the right direction.

He's making sound basketball decisions that are trending away from the Isiah Thomas days of spending big and dealing picks, and the Donnie Walsh days of having a fire sale for the chance of hitting the lotto one summer down the road in free agency.

For the Knicks' sake, Jackson should stay on his current course and be cautious while chasing Durant. For now, the focus should be the Knicks improving on the court, because nothing makes a better sales pitch than victories—just ask the San Antonio Spurs. 

Daniel Ferrara is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter to stay in touch.