NBA News Roundup, Saturday, April 27th: Kevin Durant looks certain to join the Knicks, Jimmy Butler to stay in Philly and more

The 2019 NBA Playoffs are currently the talk of the basketball world, although there is no shortage of other stories emerging from around the league.

Teams are preparing for busy offseasons, and a number of the league's leading stars continue to be linked with trades. So, here are the biggest NBA news stories and rumors you need to know for April 27th.

Kevin Durant expected to join the Knicks

Kevin Durant is being backed to leave the Golden State Warriors

Kevin Durant is currently looking to win his third straight NBA Championship with the Golden State Warriors, although his long-term future with the team remains in doubt. Durant will become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and ESPN's Ian Begley is reporting that many around the league expect KD to join the New York Knicks this summer:

If they can do what many around the NBA expect them to -- sign two stars this summer and draft an elite college prospect in late June -- they might be able to back up that rhetoric.

It's easier to find street parking in Manhattan than it is to find an NBA executive, player or coach who doesn't think Durant is going to sign with the Knicks in July.

Some of Durant's former teammates think it's going to happen, per ESPN sources. Several of his current teammates have told friends that they think it's going to happen, sources said. Opposing agents believe it's a fait accompli: "Just a matter of putting pen to paper," is how one agent of another top free agent in the 2019 free agent class put it.

Reports in recent months have suggested that Durant is desperate to lead his own team, and there is no doubting that the Knicks would provide him with this platform. Nevertheless, the Warriors are still likely to do everything in their power to pursuade Durant to stay.

Jimmy Butler open to re-signing with the Sixers

Jimmy Butler joined the Philadelphia 76ers back in November of 2018

Jimmy Butler only joined the Sixers back in November, although his long-term future with the team is in doubt. The 29-year-old is expected to test his free agency this summer, although The Athletic is reporting that Butler is open to staying in Philadelphia:

If we’re winning, it’s cool. If not, I might have something to say. I might have a lot to say to people. I’m going to speak up, speak my mind.

Have I learned anything about myself in the league? That I belong here and I’m a really good player. Guys around the league respect me just like I respect other guys. That’s why you play the game. I don’t do it for the fame. I don’t do it for the money. I do it so every time you go up against somebody, they got to dap you and be like, It’s going to be a battle tonight.

After defeating the Brooklyn Nets, Butler and the Sixers will now face the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Semifinals.

Golden State advances to face the Houston Rockets

The Golden State Warriors managed to overcome the Los Angeles Clippers 129-110

After a tough series, the Golden State Warriors finally put away the Los Angeles Clippers last night. A 129-110 victory for the Warriors was enough to close out the series 4-2, although the Clippers have earned plenty of plaudits for their ability to steal two games from the two-time reigning champions.

Kevin Durant scored 38 points in the first half, which tied for the second-most points in a half in playoff history, and the Clippers never looked likely to mount an unlikely second-half comeback. Durant went on to finish the game with 50 points, while Stephen Curry contributed a further 24.

The Warriors will now face off against the Rockets on Sunday, in a rematch of last season's Western Conference Final. Steve Kerr's men hold homecourt advantage, although the Rockets enter the game with two days of extra rest.