New York Knicks' 2018 NBA Free-Agency Big Board

The New York Knicks offseason is set up for high drama once again.

Will their passionate big men wish to renew their vows with the team? Will the Knicks sort out their complicated feelings for the three young point guards vying for their affection, or will they dump them all for someone new? Will they patiently wait for their truest love, Kristaps Porzingis, to come back from injury, or will they find another scorer to keep them warm while he's away?

When they go courting this summer, the Knicks' roving eye may look for players to fill any and every position, even those where they currently have depth, after a season of unpredictable performances.

Across the board, their priorities should be to double down on hustle and defense, increase aptitude in the pick-and-roll (where their young point guards show promise), add a boost of scoring, find someone to guard the three-point line and stay young while holding on to a couple veterans who fit the mold.

With all that in mind, here are the players who should top the Knicks' dance card this summer.

The Incumbents

Once upon a time the Knicks had too many frontcourt players. Now it's possible they will have too few.

Both Enes Kanter and Kyle O'Quinn, who will turn 26 and 28, respectively, in the next few months, have player options, from which each could accept, walk away, or waive and try to leverage into larger contracts the Knicks ultimately won't be willing to pay. O'Quinn has only $4.25 million coming to him in 2018-19; Kanter $18.6 million.

Porzingis is still not expected to return until the middle of next season, and the Knicks' preferred KP stand-in—your favorite player's favorite player, Michael Beasley—is about to become an unrestricted free agent after the 29-year-old earned a mere $2.1 million in New York. 

Despite a disappointing season at Madison Square Garden, all three players have increased their worth this season, with O'Quinn and Beasley both making cases for starting jobs and "extra zeroes" salaries. Their grit, leadership and continuous improvement (even Beasley's defense) make them the sort of players New York should try to keep, even in the midst of a youth movement. 

Ron Baker has a $4.5 million player option, which he'll have to weigh against his possibilities on the free market after a season of injury and underuse.

Clint Capela

The Knicks could lose both Kanter and O'Quinn. July may arrive with the Knicks' center depth chart consisting solely of Joakim Noah and head coach Jeff Hornacek locked in a snarling wrestling embrace like two rhinoceros beetles. 

If that is the case, then going all-in for a hot young center/forward like the Houston Rockets' Clint Capela makes sense. Convincing Houston to relinquish Capela, a restricted free agent coming off a $2.3 million contract, could be difficult after the fuel he's given to the hottest team in the league.  

An effective big man in the pick-and-roll, Capela averages 14.3 points per game. The 24-year-old has the best field-goal percentage in the NBA (65.4 percent), which might be aided in part by lobs from Chris Paul, but that is mostly a credit to his slick, timely slices to the bucket both with and without the ball.  

More importantly, he's a beast on the boards (11.0 per game), using acrobatics, not just muscle, and a long wingspan to grab rebounds. He never saw a shot he didn't want to contest and is fifth in the league in blocks per game (1.8). When he mimics the Dikembe Mutombo finger-wag, he's earned it. 

Montrezl Harrell

At 6'8" and 240 pounds, Los Angeles Clippers center/forward Montrezl Harrell, 24, is considered undersized for a big man, but when he's barreling downcourt full speed on the break with his red-tipped braids flying, one wouldn't want to try drawing a charge on him. 

Harrell, about to be an unrestricted free agent, is a versatile combination of strength, athleticism and grit. He is quick in transition and can overpower almost anyone he wants to in the post, making him one of the league's leaders in fast break and paint points. He averages 10.1 points per game in only 16.2 minutes.

He's also a hustler and a nuisance—the unofficially self-named "enforcer" of the Clippers' scrappy second unit. 

However, if the Knicks wanted something a little similar and didn't mind bringing on more age, they might also consider bringing back Quincy Acy, a 27-year-old ex-Knick. The current Brooklyn Net is one of the league's leaders in charges drawn (19) and a strong roll man, and he recently added a three-point shot to his repertoire.

Fred VanVleet

Yes, the Knicks now have more point guards than they know what to do with. And yes, the Toronto Raptors are likely to match any offer for backup point guard Fred VanVleet, a restricted free agent, after a breakout year. The Knicks might be more likely to watch Ron Baker waive his option, scream "North Over Everything" and join his old Wichita State partner-in-crime in Toronto, rather than see the two unite in New York.

Nevertheless, VanVleet should be on the Knicks' radar. During the Raptors' current 14-1 streak, VanVleet is averaging 10.0 points, 4.1 assists, 1.4 steals and a plus-minus of 10.2 off the bench. 

One night he's dropping 25 on the L.A. Lakers like he did in mid-January. Another night he's can't find the bottom of the net, but he's racking up seven assists, three steals, and two blocks on the Atlanta Hawks, which he did Tuesday. He runs the pick-and-roll with heads-up finesse, dives for loose balls with tenacity and does everything else a team building a competitive culture could want.  

If not Fred VanVleet, the Knicks shouldn't count out the idea of other point guards altogether.

Former Knick Shane Larkin is having a respectable year as a backup with the Boston Celtics. Fantastic pest T.J. McConnell is climbing up the leaderboards in the hustle stats, racking up assists for the Philadelphia 76ers and winning fans. Even the curious Isaiah Thomas might be worth a gamble.

Marcus Smart

Marcus Smart can do things to make you hate him. Like plucking off an inbounds pass and running it down for a layup. Or drawing a perfectly timed charge and then another charge. Or deflecting a ball or driving baseline for a slam. Or making his opponent completely lose his cool after a few quarters of harassing defense or entirely ruining Christmas Day 2016 for New York Knicks fans.

You hate him, because he's wearing the wrong jersey.   

Smart ranks fourth in NBA.com's defensive win shares per game. The 24-year-old guard also logs 10.0 points, 4.7 assists, 1.3 steals and a plus/minus of 4.1 in just under 30 minutes per game off the bench. Ask any fan which Boston Celtics player they loathe most and they'll likely say Smart, but he has precisely the kind of hustle and defensive tenacity that the Knicks and New York fans value.   

Yes, he punches picture frames in frustration and has to get stitches. If he does join the Knicks, he'll no doubt end up with stitches in his face, like some on this year's team. And yes, the depths and dangers of his passions are something the Knicks should investigate before offering him a deal.  

But there really is nobody else like him, and that is why New York should woo him with chocolate, flowers and all the finest salves and bandages. He will be a restricted free agent, but the Celtics supposedly put Smart on the trade block before the deadline, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski (h/t Sporting News). It's unlikely they'd work hard to match an offer for him. He's making $4.5 million this season. 

Lastly, as for the top-dollar free agent for 2018, LeBron James...let the King of New York play somewhere else. 

Disagree with Sara Peters on Twitter @3FromThe7.