Why the Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving free agency hype is reaching a fever pitch — and why the Knicks are involved

The impending free agency of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving has been a major talking point in the NBA all season.Despite both players playing for great teams, there have been persistent rumors that they could leave, with the New York Knicks frequently mentioned as a possible destination.Rumors, reports, and more have left the NBA world with a trail of bread crumbs to follow and speculate on the futures of both stars.The NBA regular season is in its stretch run, with the playoffs just around the corner, but two of the biggest stories in the league remain the futures of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.Both are set to become free agents in what is shaping up to be a stacked free agent class in 2019. Over the course of the season, rumors have continued to pile on over whether both stars would leave their respective teams in free agency, possibly to team up. The New York Knicks are frequently mentioned as a potential landing spot. Both players' actions throughout the season have only added fuel to the fire.Here's why the free agency hype is building: