The New York Knicks have made the most of a grim situation this 2019 free agency.
After an unprecedented avalanche of signings that saw Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and other high-value players commit to teams in a matter of minutes, the Knicks had to shift their plans away from big-name free agents.
In the two days that followed the start of the moratorium period, NY grabbed seemingly every role player they could get their hands on. Forward Julius Randle will ink a three-year, $63 million deal with a team option in the final season, highlighting New York’s six free agency deals.
Along with Randle, the Knicks also grabbed veteran Taj Gibson, sharpshooter Reggie Bullock, deadeye Wayne Ellington, stretch-big Bobby Portis, and backup guard Elfrid Payton. They’ve opened multiple doors for the future, as each deal ends with a team option.
The best thing the Knicks have done this offseason was drafting R.J. Barrett. The Duke product has the potential to become a top-two player in this league. His excitement to play for the Knicks has to encourage fans. The Knicks are fresh off of trading their franchise player, so Barrett should feel safe about his role going forward.
With the future being wide open, there are three options I see fit for the Knicks during the next three years.
Option #1: Stockpile Assets for Trade
This option is the most likely, in my opinion. The Knicks have gathered an impressive collection of promising young players and role players over the past few days that could develop into decent trade pieces in a few years.
Soon, the Knicks should be able to find a proper suitor for a trade, similar to the Kristaps Porzingis and Anthony Davis deals. Teams in the rebuilding stages would part with their All-Star in exchange for young players and expiring deals (in this case, plenty of team options).
The Knicks will be looking for a star to pair with R.J. Barrett and may not be willing to play the long game to develop the young core. Signing a boatload of solid role players with team options increases NY’s trade value in the coming years.
Option #2: 2021 Free Agency
New York has played their cards perfectly to allow for a big free agency in two years.
Next year’s free-agent pool is rather dry, with Draymond Green being the biggest name unless player options are declined. The 2021 offseason will be worth waiting for, rivaling this year’s class with players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Oladipo, and Anthony Davis hitting the market.
All deals agreed to by the Knicks in the past days will expire before the 2021 offseason with the exception of Randle’s, which has a team option that season. New York has played it so that they’ll have at least two max spots in two years, meaning they could potentially focus on recruiting the Greek Freak to pair with Barrett.
The problem with this option is that the Knicks are no longer the free agent hotspot that they once were. While the real reasons haven’t been publicized, their lack of attention from big names can probably be attributed to lack of success, treatment of stars, and poor management. Unless a complete culture shock changes the stigma surrounding organization, it’s unlikely that the Knicks will land any big names in 2021.
That being said, it probably won’t stop the Knicks from trying.
Option #3: Develop Young Core
While this option is the least likely, it’s the option I feel would be most beneficial.
Obviously, this option would be a long game for New York, something that they tend to stray away from. Winning sooner rather than later is usually a priority within the organization, but I’m confident they could grow their current roster to become a contender in less than four years time.
This current roster will be a fringe playoff team this year, fighting with Miami, Detroit, Orlando, and Atlanta for the eighth seed. A starting lineup of Dennis Smith Jr, R.J. Barrett, Kevin Knox, Julius Randle, and Mitchell Robinson shows extreme promise and has an average age of only 20.8 years. Give it a few years, and this team could very well be competing without any changes made to the roster.
Barrett is a guaranteed All-Star, and he’ll be making his first All-Star appearance within the next four years. Robinson will soon become a premier defender in this league and will win at least one DPOY during his career. Julius Randle has taken the backseat in career thus far, and I predict a breakout season for him in 2019.
The Knicks’ offseason has played out much different than they’d originally planned. With hopes set on Zion Williamson, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving, the Knicks had to settle for R.J. Barrett and Julius Randle.
While fans are understandably angry at the organization for not living up to their promises, NY has made the best of their situation and set themselves up for the future. If executed correctly, any of these options could result in playoff runs for the Knicks.