Kevin Durant explains why Knicks can't attract players: 'The cool thing right now is not the Knicks'

A number of analysts expected Kevin Durant to sign with the New York Knicks during the offseason. The team had a boatload of money available, and an allure that would be too good to pass up.

And yet, Durant did exactly that. He passed over the Knicks to sign with the Brooklyn Nets. Why? Because the appeal of the Knicks is overblown right now, according to Durant.

As Durant explains, the Knicks don’t have the same relevance with younger players today. Older fans might remember the Knicks making it to the NBA finals in 1999, but younger players haven’t seen the team experience that level of success. Younger players have grown up with the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers as the desirable teams, according to Durant. He also throws the Nets in that group.

The 31-year-old Durant doesn’t say any of that to be disrespectful to the Knicks. He’s just speaking honestly about the way the franchise is viewed among players today.

Restoring the franchise to its former glory won’t be easy. In order for the Knicks to be relevant again, the team needs to win games and perform well in the postseason. The team hasn’t been to the playoffs since the 2012-13 season, so getting back there would be a big step in the right direction.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik

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