The Knicks have high hopes for free agency this summer. Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Kyrie Irving are all targets and the possibility of some $70 million in cap space has seemed boundless at times. But they must also be realistic. Irving has been reported to be heavily leaning towards the Nets. The Knicks might get a meeting with Leonard but are not the favorites to land him. Durant is injured and that has thrown his free agency up in the air.



The Knicks do not intend to give out big deals to players who are not on their short list of the very top of the class. And if they’re not getting the best players out there and not budging on the second- and third-tier free agents, that leaves them with a lot of money to spend. They are believed to be amenable to sign free agents to short-term deals, though they might have to pay a higher price to attract them to New York for what could be another losing season and a lack of long-term certainty. The Knicks don’t want to...