The conventional wisdom for several weeks has been that Kevin Durant will sign with the New York Knicks.

Sources say some of Durant's former teammates believe Durant will sign with the Knicks. Sources also say that several of his current teammates have told friends they expect Durant to sign with the Knicks as well.

"Just a matter of putting pen to paper," said one agent of another top 2019 top free agent about Durant to the Knicks.

The belief is that Durant sees the opportunity to win with the Knicks as a way of changing the way he's viewed after joining a Warriors' team that had just won 73 games.

"Winning there would change the narrative around him," one executive said.

Multiple executives expect Kyrie Irving to join Durant with the Knicks.

The New York Knicks figure to be a factor in free agency this offseason amid a time in which Jim Dolan has received criticism from fans.

Kevin Durant scored 38 points in a return to form performance in Game 3 as the Golden State Warriors defeated the Los Angeles Clippers.

“This was the first time this season that my actual basketball play, and not about what I’m going to do in the future, took over the headlines,” Durant told Yahoo Sports after Game 3. “Think about that now. That hasn’t happened in a long time. I like that. That’s the way it should be.”

Speculation on Durant's future has dominated headlines this season, particularly after he avoided the media for more than a week and then called out Ethan Strauss of The Athletic. The media, however, has mostly avoided asking Durant questions about his future.

“This game is what it’s all about, not about something that hasn’t even happened,” Durant told Yahoo Sports. “Let’s enjoy basketball. I can take the criticism about the game. This is what we’re paid to do. That should be the focus. This is good.”

Kevin Durant is asking fans to watch the games instead of focusing on his pending free agency decision this July.

“Yo, just watch the game. Just focus on the game and stop nitpicking, because it is a beautiful game going on out there,” Durant told The Undefeated. “What can I do right now? I can’t sign a paper. I got to do the most important thing, and that is play. And that is what we should be focusing on.”

In February, Durant was critical of the media of how they constantly speculated about his free agency. Durant has been linked with the New York Knicks.

Durant insists he has yet to make his decision and won't until July 1.

“Let’s appreciate what is going on, on the basketball court. I know it’s the sexy part of the NBA: free agency, trades, transactions. But it’s a beautiful game that we’re out here playing. I feel like I play a different and unique way that may inspire some people,” Durant said.

“You never know where you can get [inspiration] from. It’s always been my fight with people to focus on the basketball. That other stuff will take care of itself when time comes.”

Durant said it would be disrespectful to his Golden State Warriors' teammates to make a decision during the playoffs.

“If I already made a decision, it would take away from the team, what we’re fighting for. Every play would be overshadowed by it,” Durant said. “It is not necessary for me to make a decision right now. It would be bad to do that. It would take the focus off of what is important. I would never want to put my teammates in a messed-up position. I want to forget about it.

“But it is still putting everybody in messed-up positions where everybody wants to know all the time, everybody is speculating and everybody is trying to get in my head and what I think about it.”

Kevin Durant was recently asked if being a member of the Golden State Warriors has been all that he thought it would when he signed with the franchise in 2016.

“Of course,” Durant said.

Durant and the Warriors are attempting to win their third straight title this season.

“I came here knowing for a fact, that every media member, every fan was going to call me every name in the book for however long I was here and I was going to take the brunt of everything. I knew coming here,” Durant said. “But I wanted to be a part of this so bad, I didn’t give a f---. Same with LeBron (James). He took all of that heat, no matter what.”

Durant has been forced to improve as a player and a teammate within Golden State's system.

“I enjoy the way they played basketball. I never played with shooters like that. That moved. That were versatile players. I wanted to be a part of that,” Durant said. “My game was talking to me. Not that other s---. The spirit of the game was talking to me. Not the spotlight or the fame that comes from being the best player. Not the legacy. I swear on my life, that don’t mean nothing to me. How I build myself up in this NBA life, it doesn’t mean anything to me. I just want to play great basketball every second I’m on the court, and that was a perfect opportunity for me to do so.”

Durant has been strongly linked to signing with the New York Knicks this offseason.

“I’m from Washington, D.C. I went to Oklahoma City for eight years. Out of nowhere, I went to the Bay for three years,” Durant said. “I’ve been roaming my whole life. I never had no stable environment. Ever. Ever. Since I woke up. I sacrificed a lot of s--- to be here and to change my game up to be with these guys. And it was worth it.” 

Patrick Ewing will represent the New York Knicks at the NBA draft lottery, scheduled for May 14th.

The Knicks, Suns, and Cavs all have a 14% chance of winning the lottery.

The Knicks can finish no worse than 5th in the lottery as they had the worst record in the NBA.

Joe Lacob is not stressing over the upcoming free agency of Kevin Durant in which many have speculated he will leave the Golden State Warriors for the New York Knicks.

“I honestly don’t even think about it,” Lacob said. “I don’t. Because there’s nothing I can do about it. Zero. He has earned the right to be a free agent. He’s going to make the choice that feels best for him. And it’s our job to, when the season’s over, convince him that the right decision is to be a Warrior for life.

“Look, we can pay him the most money. We have a great team. We have great coaching. We have great fans. I don’t think anyone can match us, when you take everything into consideration, if that’s the way you’re thinking about it. And he has a chance to win — and let’s hope it goes well this year — a chance to win more championships. I mean, it could be legendary. If he stays here … I don’t know that you get this kind of opportunity very often. So I would hope that he thinks that and accepts that and decides he wants to stay.

“But on the other hand, I’m not going to be mad at him, either way. Whatever he decides to do, he decides to do. And I’ll probably be a Kevin Durant fan no matter what. I’m not going to be emotional about it. There’s no point.”

The Los Angeles Clippers, Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks perform blood tests.

Blood tests are used to keep a gauge on the body, revealing levels of stress and fatigue. The test can also tell when a player isn't getting enough sleep, what food is needed and what vitamins and minerals are lacking.

“One of the big upsides is blood don’t lie,” said Shawn Arent, a kinesiology professor at Rutgers University and the director of its Center for Health & Human Performance. “You can ask an athlete how they’re feeling and all that’s important but athletes will lie too because they want to play. Blood gives you a very objective measure of a number of different things.”

The tests conducted by these teams are voluntary.

The players’ union is currently in discussions with the NBA about blood testing, according to a source. 

“At the end of the day they’re here to help you and you’re signing it,” Tim Hardaway Jr. said, before the Knicks traded him to another team that uses Orreco. “If you feel like you’re putting yourself at risk then don’t do it. You’re the one that’s signing your name on it and your information is going to be out there at the end of the day if you do it. We know at the end of the day they’re not here to hurt us, they’re here to help us and help us try to get better each and every day as an athlete and help us be healthy.”

Kevin Durant will leave the Golden State Warriors and sign with the New York Knicks this summer, according to Ric Bucher.

"From everything I've heard, it's done. Yes, he's leaving," said Bucher when he appeared on Colin Cowherd's "The Herd".

Bucher added that Durant has never truly felt embraced by the Warriors and is looking to carve out his own path with the Knicks.

"I can tell you that Kevin Durant has never been fully embraced by the Warriors faithful. And has never, from even a national perspective, been given the just do that you would expect for a guy who has been the NBA Finals MVP of their last two championships. It's still Steph's team. It's still Steph, Klay, Draymond. KD thanks for coming along and helping us win these last two...So now that he's done that, it's a matter of, 'Where can I go and I can get this done? I can be the centerpiece and I'm going to be unbelievably appreciated.' I can tell you one place: The New York Knicks, the New York Knicks' fans, Madison Square Garden. If he so much as takes them into the conference finals, for as much as they have not done for the past multiple decades, he will be beloved there like he never has been at Golden State after winning two championships." 

The NBA would not have allowed the Dallas Mavericks' trade for Kristaps Porzingis with the New York Knicks to be executed if they believed the sexual assault case again him appeared to be strong, according to a source briefed on the trade call.

The New York Knicks made the Mavericks aware of a potential "extortion issue" with Porzingis during the trade call.

The New York Police Department and the Manhattan district attorney’s office have confirmed an investigation against Porzingis is ongoing. 

The NBA will wait until the investigation plays or further developments before deciding on any action against Porzingis. 

The Mavericks aggressively pursued a trade for Porzingis and planned to offer him a five-year max contract worth $158 million in July. Mark Cuban declined to answer on Monday when asked if the Mavericks remain eager to sign Porzingis to that contract.