Knicks and KD — brilliant or stupid?

The original word from Woj was that Kyrie Irving was going to the Nets.

The update is that he has a big fish playmate that will join him.

I wondered yesterday if that would get Kevin Durant thinking there, despite talk he and Kawhi Leonard have been discussing a joint move to the Clippers?

And Woj says yes. And that DeAndre Jordan will be the third fish in the net. Or the Nets.

He and Ramona Shelburne go on to say that the Knicks didn't want to give KD a max deal. And, of course, Stephen A. Smith is doing a meltdown over that and all things James Dolan.

The Knicks are instead paying Julius Randle 3/$63.

Are they idiots?

Sorry, Stephen A, but I don't think so. And here, Red Satan makes arguments both for and against signing Randle et al. And, the anti position is more a callout of their pre-free agency brash predictions than anything.

Kobe Bryant was far worse after his injury. DeMarcus Cousins doesn't inspire high confidence.

The NBA notes that of 18 players with such injuries in recent years, seven never even returned. Rudy Gay has looked good in his comeback, and Dominique Wilkins looked almost unfazed, but going through that list, they're the definite exception.

So, four years at $41 million a year? And, if he misses all of next year, and one half of 2020-21 and is at 80 percent for the rest of the time he plays? He's delivering half the actual value.

It's a gamble to offer him a max, and probably about the same amount of gamble to let him walk by not offering him one. I don't think it's stupid to draw a line like this, while I don't think it's brilliant, either. It's probably going to be a somewhat smart decision, made smarter by who the Knicks DO land and at what price. Randle's not a bad start.

That said, Kristaps Porzingis, who just accepted the Dallas max offer, is surely glad he's not in Gotham.

The only question now remaining is if the Warriors can get anything in the way of cap relief by making this into a sign-and-trade.