“Durant’s list of preferred trade destinations contains three teams,” Stein wrote. “Yet it almost had four. The Stein Line has learned that the Knicks also would have featured on that list but were ultimately omitted when New York made it clear that it has decided against pursuing a trade for the NBA’s No. 8 all-time leading scorer.”

The Memphis Grizzlies' haul for Desmond Bane and what the Brooklyn Nets got last year for Mikal Bridges may not be all that instructive toward the return on a Kevin Durant trade.

There is considerable interest in the two-time NBA champion because he could serve as the final piece to a championship puzzle.