Stephen A. calls his New York Knicks ‘PETTY’ for not wanting Kevin Durant 😮 | First Take

Stephen A. calls his New York Knicks ‘PETTY’ for not wanting Kevin Durant 😮 | First Take

include Gilbert Arenas Tracy McGrady Chris Weber Doors open 9:00 a.m be there to see our live show 10 a.m Eastern So I told you this morning the struggle was real I was a little nervous I’m like I don’t have Stephen A I don’t have the Morris twins So what is my game plan Am I going to report the news But you see the hustle You know it’s like a it’s a slight jog power walk Marcus you’re extra focused I started picking it up a little bit I don’t know if you’re going to watch I started taking it We got we got a little jog happening You guys were locked in but you made it just in time And then uh luckily the wonderful technical folks in Stephen A studio in Oklahoma City pulled it off So here we are We had a run It was a little a little bad wasn’t it Today we had to Not bad fellas Not bad Not Not bad I was a lot worse when I was jogging in there I was out of breath So y’all got They definitely let us know that They let us know that on for sure You you guys were locked in But don’t worry cuz Monday we’ll be at the new studio You won’t be having to do that You’ll just It is I saw it yesterday We did rehearsals I’m really excited about it All right back to the association guys Kevin Durant narrowing his search for a new team So so far he’s got Miami Houston San Antonio on his wish list That according to Shams According to our Mark Spears Durant was interested in joining New York but the feeling yeah it wasn’t mutual Take a listen KD wanted a New York Knicks He wanted to go there The Knicks have no interest in bringing him in which probably makes Knicks Nation I don’t know probably quite interested in why not H Okay Uh Marcus you think it would be a mistake if the Knicks don’t pursue KD Of course it would be Like you at least got to put your name in the sweep stakes And I understand like you don’t want to break up your court because a lot of people talk about yeah he might only have two maybe three years The window is now though New York has never won a championship And not saying that it’s guaranteed that they win but the East is so wide open You add a Kevin Durant to that team And I’m I’m assuming if you look at the numbers you will only obviously lose a guy like Cat right So your core kind of stays intact and you add another piece you go out you find some free agents that can come around the team you get a new coach that has a system that makes you know everybody significantly better right Like the other guys you make them step up to the plate You give them a role and where they’re playing at So for me I’m I’m going to take my shot at it If I got get Kevin Durant a player that’s still filling it up still having best careers uh numbers numbers wise still super efficient he might miss some games and it’s the Mecca I’m going after a guy like that to give me my chance You may never get back to this with the same team So it’s not guaranteed but I’m putting my best foot forward and I’m getting a guy that can change the game that can score that can add to what you’ve guys done that’s a champion right has been on different teams with different players so kind of can know how to fit his way in right I think it’ll be interesting to see what coach they bring in so what system they have But it’s I think that might be the biggest part other than them not actually wanting Kevin Durant is having a coach so you know who he playing for right Like so we know who’s going So we’re unhappy with the way they handled the coaching decision I think they should have fired We’re not liking this what’s happening with um Kevin Durant Stephen A you’re a diehard lifelong Knicks fan Where are you on this with bringing in KD Do you think it’s a mistake to not do it Well of course it’s a mistake It’s of course a mistake It’s idiocy to be quite honest with you Uh but before I get to that let me say this This is a classic case of your your past comments coming back to bite you in the ass That’s really what this is about because KD if you remember correctly when he decided to go to Brooklyn and then he revealed why you know he decided to go away from the New York Knicks and to go to the Brooklyn Nets he talked about how the Knicks were corny And at the time he was right Unfortunately what he didn’t take into account the he didn’t take into account the pettiness of an owner like James Dolan who probably remembered that And that’s the only reason because see anybody that has a speck of knowledge about the game of basketball you can’t justify not wanting KD on your squad There is not a system he can’t play in There is not a system he can’t complement This is KD a career 27 point per game scorer okay Shooting 50% from the field nearly 40% from three-point range nearly 90% from the three free throw line He is a professional scorer This past year in his mid30s he averaged over 26 on 52% shooting from the field and better 40% from three-point range This is who he is And when it comes to putting the ball in the hole he is a he is as elite as they come Without question one of the all-time greats Who the hell are you if you the New York Knicks to say you don’t want somebody like that Even with Jaylen Brunson being as great as he is even as we sit here recognizing Mr clutch player of the year allstar big- time player superstar in this game No one would say he’s KD We understand there’s levels to this And so for the New York Knicks to take this position okay I get it from the standpoint if you had your old team in place and you didn’t want to quote unquote disrupt the culture even though I’d still be against you on that but considering the changes that they made giving up five picks four unprotected in the first round for Muel Bridges giving up a couple of picks and a couple of players for Carl Anthony Towns you already changed it up So if if to sit to sit up there and say you don’t want KD what nerve Yeah I want to piggyback on that By the way it’s hilarious that he called them corny Uh just the fact that seems like so KD I I don’t know it but it’s just funny Uh Kee what’s your level of concern though We see like the actions already started Orlando’s making moves that the Knicks are going to get left behind in the East Uh I I don’t I don’t think either way you do this deal if you do this deal you don’t do this deal There’s no real level of concern right Because the East is wide open And we continue to say that we don’t know what Boston’s going to do Obviously Jason Tatum’s not there next year They made it to the Eastern Conference Finals this year so it’s still wide open Now do Kevin Durant give him the push Absolutely I think you know and I don’t know if people know because they they talk about like moving your core pieces around right Like you said earlier Cat makes more than KD So that’s the trade right there Are you willing to trade Cat for KD Now if you ask me I’m taking KD all day Not not nothing wrong with CAT but I think that’s the push that you need You can you can fill a team with with with uh minimum players and make that team better And I do think they’re a better play They are better team with KD and not I just had a thought Stephen A and sorry to kind of hijack the conversation but do you think part of this might be not going after KD is because you have potential to get Giannis and you’d rather have Giannis shredded that when they gave up the four unprotected first round picks and the five overall for a KD Now they still hold out hope because if Giannis says “I want to go to New York Milwaukee make that happen.” That’s a different scenario But in terms of assets it would certainly cost less to get KD than it would cost to get Giannis So you have to look at it that way as well But I would also like to say this I got a lot of respect and appreciation for Carl Anthony Towns I do believe he’s arguably the best shooting big man in basketball Of course I would take KD over Carl Anthony Towns There’s no shade but Carl Anthony Towns ain’t KD He can’t put the ball on the floor like KD He does He doesn’t have as many as as much as much of an arsenal offensively as a KD We know that We’ve seen that Nobody’s blind And KD with Jaylen Brunson hell yeah The only issue is that Carl Anthony Towns is younger than KD And you do find yourself wondering how much time KD has left But I look at KD as a lover of the game of basketball lives eats and breathes it All he wants to do is hoop and mind his business right I think he’s the kind of guy that’s going to be around for a few more years So when you think about a 2-year $122 million deal they’re saying he would deserve let’s be clear that’s over 60 million a year and even approaching his 36th to 37th birthday I want to be very very clear about this Kevin Durant yes that same dude that insults me I don’t give a damn I love him Okay I know he’s a good brother I don’t give a damn how sensitive he gets That brother is worth more than60 million If you’re saying if you’re saying it’s him for cat and he’s better why is Phoenix going to do that I think Phoenix I think he he helps Phoenix right He adds another star next to book Um it’s another big man you can get the ball to and it’s the only asset in like unless you have for me unless you’re getting a big package back for him or you’re getting the assets and that’s directing the way that your team is moving I think Cat and Book actually fits I think the West is still loaded so it’s still going to be a dog fight of him going over there But my only my only issue with this Nick saying we have no interest in Kevin Durant Like I’m not even going to put that out Even if I don’t even if I might have I don’t know why I just felt like that might have something to do with Giannis or or somebody else that they have their eye on If it does we’re not gonna X him out We’re not gonna cut his feet off and say that’s not gonna happen That don’t make I don’t feel like that Stephen A Hold on Hold up Let let me let me put on my reporting out of here First of all it’s not Nick fans It’s not Leon Ro It’s not Worldw Wild West It’s not those guys It’s James Dolan And the reason it’s James Dolan is because as I as I reported back in the day they they want to deny it all they want They can deny all I’m telling you what I know KD was supposed to be going to the Knicks At the 11th hour he decides being convinced by Kyrie they going to Brooklyn is personal with James Dolan because he was led to believe whether it’s true or not he was led to believe that KD by Steve Mills and those guys they were told KD was coming to New York and he was led to believe they were coming and they he believes they changed their mind and went to Brooklyn and as a result it’s personal with James Dolan and he ain’t trying to hear that That’s what this is about This ain’t about the Nick fans We all would want KD What I look like everywhere I pull up my brain with the heat on the CD [Applause]

Stephen A. Smith, Marcus Morris Sr., Markieff Morris and Jay Williams join Molly Qerim on First Take to discuss reports that Kevin Durant is interested in being traded to the New York Knicks, but that the Knicks are not interested.

0:00 The twins were almost late
2:20 Marcus would go for KD
3:30 Stephen A.’s thoughts
5:44 Level of concern for NY
8:34 KD for Karl-Anthony Towns the only option?

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