Knicks President Issues Statement After Missing Out on Top Free Agents

The Knicks missed out on signing stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

New York Knicks president Steve Mills issued a statement in light of the team's free agency news on Sunday.

The Knicks, once considered top landing spots for free agents Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, missed out on both when free agency began on Sunday. Both Durant and Irving are set to sign with the Brooklyn Nets alongside center DeAndre Jordan.

"While we understand that some Knicks fans could be disappointed with tonight's news, we continue to be upbeat and confident in our plans to rebuild the Knicks to compete for championships in the future, through both the draft and targeted free agents," Mills said in the statement.

Statement from Knicks president Steve Mills: pic.twitter.com/2GnBHHmvT6

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 1, 2019

According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, Knicks owner Jim Dolan did not offer Durant a maximum contract due to concerns over his ability to recover from his Achilles injury. New York instead is reportedly signing Julius Randle to a three-year, $63 million contract and Taj Gibson to a two-year, $20 million deal.

The franchise's fans took to social media on Sunday to express their disappointment in the Knicks' free agency misses.

The Knicks finished last in the Eastern Conference with a record of 17–65 last season.