TORONTO — Kevin Durant was “shocked’’ his buddy Derek Fisher was fired as Knicks coach and reached out to his former Thunder teammate to lift his spirits.
While Durant, who can become a free agent after this season, said continuity is important in choosing his next destination, Durant gave no clear hints on whether Fisher’s dismissal has crossed the Knicks off his wish list. A source close to Durant told The Post he still has “a good support system in New York City’’ that goes beyond his Jay Z-run Roc Nation agency.
The Knicks still have three former Oklahoma City assistants — Brian Keefe, Joshua Longstaff and David Bliss — on their staff, but they soon could be gone if there’s a coaching change after the season.
“I was shocked,’’ Durant said Friday at the Sheraton Hotel in Toronto during All-Star Weekend festivities. “I thought he was doing a great job. Melo missed [seven] games. It’s tough losing your best player. I thought he was doing a great job, man.
“This league, it don’t matter what your record is nowadays. You still get fired. I don’t know who’s doing it deep in the organization internally. Record doesn’t matter anymore if you’re a coach. Fish did a great job. It’s tough to turn an organization around in a year-and-a-half. He did the best he could do. I‘m sure he walked out with a lot of peace.’’
And Durant made sure to phone Fisher before he apparently left on vacation with his romantic interest, Gloria Govan, Matt Barnes’ estranged wife.
“I talked to Fish,’’ Durant said. “I just told him I love him, man. He knows the business. People go through all the time. I told him he did a great job and know he can walk away from that job at peace, knowing he gave 110 percent.’’
Carmelo Anthony said he doesn’t believe the Knicks’ coaching change will influence the decision of free agents, arguing the team’s players matter more.
“I think now it’s more about guys wanting to come and play alongside me, guys seeing the future of what’s going to be on the court,” Anthony said. “I don’t think the coaching situation is a big part of that — maybe it is in some guys’ eyes. At this day and age, it’s more about who’s the guy going to be playing with than the guy on the sideline.’’
Durant also confirmed The Post’s report that his father, Wayne Pratt, has been a longtime supporter of the Knicks.
“Yeah, he’s a big Knicks fan,’’ Durant said, then clarified that fact should not be played up. Durant was raised by his mother, Wanda, after Pratt left the family.
Durant had raised eyebrows on his trip to New York last month by raving about rookie Kristaps Porzingis, calling him “a unicorn.’’
“I thought it rare a guy who’s 7-3 that could a shoot the ball so quickly with that precision,’’ Durant said Friday. “As a 7-3 guy, to run and jump and block shots, that’s rare.’’
Asked about stability in an organization, Durant acknowledged: “All that stuff plays a factor. An opportunity you choose, you want your environment to be stable and have good people around you and work with great people. That’s how it is in Oklahoma City.’’
Durant has been linked to several teams if he decides to leave the Thunder, including the Warriors, Lakers, Knicks and his hometown Wizards. He said the distraction hasn’t been huge.
“It’s great to feel wanted,’’ Durant said. “I put myself in a position where I play basketball at a high level. You hear so many rumors. It’s cool to hear this team, that team wants you. That’s what you want as a player — for everybody to respect you and admire how you play basketball.
“[At] the same time, it’s being the best for my teammates. I’m the big brother and leader of that team. It’s tough, but also cool you know you’re an elite level and everyone’s talking about your future.’’