Knicks' Early 2023 Free-Agent Targets
If the New York Knicks make a splash during the 2023 NBA offseason, it probably won't happen in free agency.
They won't have a ton of money regardless of what Josh Hart (player option) decides to do. And even if they did, this market isn't exactly loaded with stars anyway.
The Knicks are sitting pretty in terms of trade assets, so if the right star shakes loose, they should be ready to pounce.
They can still improve their club in free agency, though, and their work on that front will just involve filling niche needs and adding depth. To get that done, they should eyeball the following three players.
Seth Curry, Brooklyn Nets (Unrestricted)
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New York's fourth-ranked offense, per NBA.com, is unique. It's hard to find such an efficient attack in the modern game from a team that doesn't shoot it well—like, at all.
The Knicks were 20th in field-goal percentage, 19th in three-point percentage and 22nd in free-throw percentage.
They have found ways to make this work—they crash the offensive glass, get to the line and almost never turn it over—but life would be easier on that end with a sharpshooter or two added to the mix.
Seth Curry is an absolute laser. It sort of runs in the family.
The 32-year-old has more layers to his game than just being a shooting specialist, but his stroke would fit that role. Case in point: He just splashed 40.5 percent of his threes, and it was his worst connection rate since becoming a rotation regular.
While the Knicks have depth in the backcourt, they could still find minutes for Curry by playing smaller and letting RJ Barrett and (if he stays) Josh Hart get some runs at the 4.
Donte DiVincenzo, Golden State Warriors (Player Option)
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Donte DiVincenzo already looks like he'd quickly become a favorite of Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau.
The 26-year-old doesn't back down from defensive assignments of all sizes and styles, and he seemingly has access to a limitless energy supply.
DiVincenzo can line up anywhere between the 1 and 3 spots, so fitting him into this perimeter rotation should be a cinch. His off-ball movement would let him shine alongside playmakers like Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson, and the Knicks would gladly take his outside shot (career highs of 2.1 threes and a 39.7 percent conversion rate).
He plays hard, and he plays smart. That's all you can ask from your role players.
Max Strus, Miami Heat (Unrestricted)
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The Knicks, like most teams, could use more help on their wings. That would be doubly true if Hart opted to skip town.
Either way, New York would find ways to use Max Strus.
The 6'5" swingman didn't set the world on fire this season, but he did post personal bests of 11.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists.
If the 27-year-old manages to maintain anything close to that volume while recapturing some of the efficiency shown during the previous season (44.1 percent shooting, 41 percent from distance), he'd be an asset for this attack.
The fact that he found his NBA footing in Miami means he should be more than ready for the type of effort level Thibodeau demands from his players.
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