The New York Knicks may have avoided Kevin Durant being traded to the Eastern Conference as he was dealt to the Houston Rockets by the Phoenix Suns, but that doesn't mean the team won't feel the effects of the blockbuster deal.
The Suns traded Durant to the Rockets for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, five second-round picks and the No. 10 overall pick in this week's draft. It's a decent haul for Durant, who has just one year remaining on his contract ahead of his age-37 season.
The deal was seen by many as the first real domino of the offseason, and this should set some moves into motion from teams looking to make a jump towards contending.
The Western Conference is expected to be stacked with the Oklahoma City Thunder as the favorite, but the Rockets, who finished No. 2 in the West, are also considered to be a team in the mix to represent the conference in the NBA Finals.
The teams out in the Eastern Conference with the Knicks should also be aggressive in their pursuit towards a championship. There was a bit of an example of that when the Orlando Magic acquired Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies for Cole Anthony, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and four future first-round picks.
Bane is good, but he isn't the best player that could be dealt this offseason, and the Knicks could find themselves getting involved.
If the Knicks aren't the ones making a trade, someone else will, and that could be an opportunity missed for New York as it looks to stay among the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
The Knicks will have their chance to make a big move starting with the NBA Draft on Wednesday and Thursday before the start of free agency on Monday.
