Knicks fans are one of the most passionate fans in basketball. That took years off my life to say, as a Celtics fan, but it’s true. Although they deserve better, their organization rarely ever delivers. After Porzingis went down with a knee injury, Knicks fans have been clinging on to the idea of summer 2019 for hope. With Brookly making into in the playoffs without any draft picks before the Knicks, Knicks fans have been extra frustrated this year.
Knicks fans hope to land Duke star Zion Williamson and sign a couple big name free agents, like Irving and Durant. However, what happens if their plan fails? We will examine potential alternative plans which would help the Knicks become relevant again next season.
First, let’s discuss the Knicks’ roster situation:
The good news is that the Knicks have a lot of flexibility with free agency, due to lack of guaranteed contracts on the books for the 2019-2020 season.
As of right now, a few of the important young names on the Knicks roster include Frank Ntilikina, Dennis Smith Jr., Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson, and Allonzo Trier. In reality, their young core isn’t that bad.
Second, let’s discuss the Knicks’ salary cap situation:
The Knicks have several players who are coming off the books this free agency. Players currently on their roster are not signed beyond this season include DeAndre Jordan ($22,897,200) andMario Hezonja ($6,500,000). Overall, they only have an estimated $34,530,454 on the books for next year as of right now.
Without complicating it, the NBA’s salary cap is a little over $101 million. Essentially, the Knicks will have an estimated $68-72 million to spend in free agency. You can do a deeper dive into the numbers here.
Third, let’s take a look at some of the possible free agents this summer:
I went through the list of NBA free agents in the summer of 2019. I picked out a bunch of names of realistic players who aren’t restricted free agents:
Kent Bazemore, Al Horford, Kyrie Irving, Marcus Morris, Allen Crabbe, DeMarre Carroll, any relevant Hornets player, Robin Lopez, Marquese Chriss, Nik Stauskas, Dwight Powell, Isaiah Thomas, Ish Smith, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, DeMarcus Cousins, Quinn Cook, Austin Rivers, Iman Shumpert, Tyreke Evans, Bojan Bogdanovic, Darren Collison, Cory Joseph, Patrick Beverley, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Rajon Rondo, Jonas Valanciunas, Goran Dragic, Eric Bledsoe, Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, Mikola Mirotic, Taj Gibson, Julius Randle, Nerlens Noel, Markieff Morris, Nikola Vucevic, Terrence Ross, J.J Reddick, Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris, The Great Amir Johnson, Dragan Bender, Al-Farouq Aminu, Seth Curry, Rodney Hood, Harrison barnes, Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, Marc Gasol, Ricky Rubio, Thabo Sefolosha, Trevor Ariza, Dwight Howard, and a few others, depending on your opinion.
Next, let’s examine where the Knicks struggled the most this season:
Perhaps it would have been simpler to try and find a category where the Knicks did not struggle this year. Here are where the Knicks ranked in some important team stats:
- FG%: 30th
- 3P%: 25th
- 3PM: 24th
- FTA: 10th (nice!)
- REB: 20th (Not too bad)
- AST: 30th (Yikes)
- OFFRTG: 30th
- DEFRTG: 28th
To summarize it the best way I can, the Knicks were terrible on defense, and even worse on offense. They have no concept of team basketball. That is the product of a roster with poor talent, changing pieces, and the intent to tank. Needless to say, the Knicks need a culture change beyond what a couple free agents could accomplish.
Now, let’s try to find some solutions that make sense for the Knicks:
Sure, landing Irving and Durant would fix a lot of their struggles. However, there is no guarantee that they’ll be able to do that. Realistically, assuming they have their picks, the Knicks are better off tanking a couple more seasons. However, in the interest of this article’s title, there are a few things the Knicks could consider.
Let’s assume The Knicks are going to try and build around Dennis Smith Jr. and Kevin Knox. That would mean they need to land two-to-three starters and revamp their bench. If we learned one thing about the Nets, the type of players you sign, can make a contagious impact on the rest of your team.
The Strategy:
My strategy is to find players I can get either for cheap, or short term deals. Keep in mind, I’m trying to be realistic here. Let’s also assume that the Knicks draft a ball handling combo guard or small forward.
For guards:
If I was the Knicks, I would take a strong look at players like Austin Rivers, Isaiah Thomas, and Quinn Cook. Those are three ball handlers with a winning mindset. They could also look to snatch one of the hard playing wing players from the Pacers.
Ideally, they’d try to land Jimmy Butler. He would be the perfect fit for a team that needs a culture change and a combo-guard. However, young teams fear having Jimmy Butler in their locker room.
For Forwards:
They have something in Robison. However, I’m not sure if he’s NBA starter material just yet. A player like Nikola Mirotic would be a perfect chess piece to slide in for the Knicks. The Morris Twins are also worth looking at.
Ideally, the Knicks could attempt to sign another 76ers player in Tobias Harris. I believe that Mirotic along side Harris would instantly significant improve your roster and implement players with a winning mentality. Harris showed his potential in Los Angeles, while Mirotic did the same in New Orleans.
Some other pieces worth considering:
There are some pieces around the league who would plug in nicely. You could take a young big man like Dwight Powell for instance. Taj Gibson, Kent Bazemore, and Nerlens Noel are cheaper options with a lot more in the tank to consider. Eric Bledsoe could be a more expensive gamble as well.
What we have so far:
Imagine a roster of,
PG: Dennis Smith Jr./ Patrick Beverley/ Collision
SG: College Star/ Austin Rivers/ Bojan Bogdanovic
SF: Kevin Knox/Marcus Morris
PF: Nikola Mirotic/Tobias Harris
C: Few options (Valiciunas, Gasol, Howard, Brook Lopez)
NBA highlights fans will instantly call this roster trash. Real basketball fans know that a variation of this roster could have high potential.
What the Knicks probably should do:
In my opinion, the Knicks need to start to change the culture while developing their young roster. They should probably bring them up slowly like the Suns are trying to do. There are risks doing it that way as well.
However, if the Knicks wanted to compete for an 8th seed, it is doable. They can’t do it by over paying players though like they have done in the past. They need to offer contracts that make sense and align with the path of their young stars.
My one question is, if the Knicks did not land a big star, would they rather tank again or gradually build up their roster?
Of course, landing Durant and Irving is their preferable route.
Who do you think the Knicks should target? Tweet me @TPRx11