Kevin Durant will be the most coveted free agent next summer, but New York Knicks superstar Carmelo Anthony is convinced that the former Most Valuable Player will eventually sign a new deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Anthony believes that Durant will not leave the Thunder because of his strong ties to Oklahoma City, the New York Daily News reported.

Durant, who will be an unrestricted free agent next year, was recently inducted to the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, which makes Anthony believe that the 27-year-old will not leave the Thunder. The report also pointed out that Durant loves the community. He donated $1 million to the Oklahoma Red Cross two years ago after tornadoes hit Moore.

"Come on man, he just got into the Hall of Fame," Anthony said of Durant. "He's a big part of Oklahoma. Not just from a basketball standpoint but from an economic standpoint and a business standpoint. He's a major part of what goes on out here."

Anthony said that he knows the feeling of being a free agent after he visited several teams like the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers two years ago before he opted to ink a new contract with the Chicago Bulls.

Like Anthony, Durant is expected to get calls from several teams when he hits free agency on July 1 next year. Previous reports indicated that the Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks and the Washington Wizards will make a strong push to sign the superstar forward.

"I've been there," Durant said, referring to free agency. "As much as we say we try not to think about it and not worry about it there comes a time when you do have to think about those things. Maybe not when we come to the arena but when you're home you think about it. For him I think it's more about trying to get healthy."

It should also be noted that Durant, who is currently recovering from a hamstring injury, denied speculations about his relationship with fellow superstar Russell Westbrook.

"There's times we cuss each other out, but that's a part of being brothers," Durant said of his relationship with Westbrook via The Oklahoman. "Because I know if I need something, he'll be there and if I need to talk to someone outside of basketball, he'll be there. It's a real brotherhood type relationship. We're like family."

Durant averaged 28.1 points on top of 7.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists in his first eight games this season.