Do the Knicks know something the rest of the league doesn’t?

“It means they’re pretty sure they’re getting [Kevin Durant],” one NBA executive told Bleacher Report.

Otherwise, Thursday’s Kristaps Porzingis trade — which created two max contract slots that could lead to the Knicks landing Durant and Kyrie Irving — makes little sense.

Another executive shared a similar sentiment with the website:

“The only reason you can justify doing it is you have some level of certainty in your own mind that you’re getting KD and Kyrie, or KD and whatever.”

The deal to send the 23-year-old Porzingis, still recovering from a torn ACL last February, to the Mavericks sent shockwaves through the league, a trade made to create cap space since Dallas took the Knicks’ two worst contracts, belonging to Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee.

“It’s never happened,” another executive told the website. “Teams have given up unprotected picks. But no one’s ever traded an established star, an established commodity, just to clear money.”

There is reason to believe the Knicks could wind up striking it rich. On Friday, Irving backed away from his earlier comments that he’s planning to re-sign with the Celtics. Durant’s close friend, Royal Ivey, is a Knicks assistant coach, and he is a noted fan of coach David Fizdale.

If both come to New York, the Porzingis trade will be hailed as a stroke of genius. But if they don’t, it could wind up being a disaster.