Knicks' 2024 Free-Agent Big Board, Top Players to Target
Depth wasn't an issue for the 2023-24 New York Knicks.
Well, not until the injury bug absolutely ravaged this roster, at least.
When the Knicks were at (or even near) full-strength, they had capable-or-better contributors at every spot and serviceable subs behind them. It's a legitimate shame the hoops world didn't get a glimpse of what this club could've done had it avoided those red-alert injury issues, especially since free agency threatens to eat into some of that depth.
New York won't have much to spend on any needed external replacements, but the following three players could all potentially fill rotation spots without blowing the budget.
3. Doug McDermott, Indiana Pacers
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While Donte DiVincenzo's emergence as an elite outside shooter bought the 'Bockers better spacing than they'd had in recent years, you still wouldn't say this roster is overloaded with three-point threats.
And that would be especially true should one or both of Bojan Bogdanović (partially guaranteed contract) and Alec Burks (unrestricted free agent) bounce out of the Big Apple.
A reliable movement shooter like Doug McDermott could be a need-filler, then, not to mention a really smart way of filling a roster spot. Get him to New York, and you know what you're going to get: lights-out long-range shooting and a commitment to his role that will rarely (if ever) allow him to stray outside of his lane.
He's had a rough-go of things since his deadline deal to the Indiana Pacers, but if the Knicks are smart about this, they won't see that as a reason to stay away but rather an opportunity to add him on a clearance-priced contract.
2. Nicolas Batum, Philadelphia 76ers
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Assuming Nicolas Batum doesn't call it quits this summer, which he might, he should have a robust group of contenders in hot pursuit.
The Knicks would be wise to be among them.
He's the kind of two-way connector who will always find a way to fit—and, more importantly, positively impact—a good team. There really isn't a glaring weakness in his skill set. He is at least average in just about everything, and he grades out above that in several categories.
He could be a favorite of almost everyone connected to the franchise. Coach Tom Thibodeau would love his defense, Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle would appreciate his spacing, Knicks cutters would get a lot out of his passing and this fanbase would have no problem welcoming another team-first glue-guy to the fold.
1. Naji Marshall, New Orleans Pelicans
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It's rare for a three-and-D wing to fall through the proverbial cracks in the modern NBA.
There's a chance Naji Marshall is one of the exceptions.
None of his numbers jump off the page, and frankly, it's not even clear how much three-point shooting he actually provides. He hit 38.7 percent of his threes this season, but there wasn't a ton of volume (2.3 attempts per game). If nothing else, the fact he entered this campaign with a career 28.6 percent connection rate means it's more than fair to remain skeptical of his shooting until this sample size increases.
But if the shooting is for real—and his 77.6 career free-throw percentage lends some hope it might be—then you're talking about a 6'7", 220-pound energetic defender with an obvious way of helping your offense. Oh, and the 26-year-old should be right on the verge of entering his prime. This should all probably put him out of New York's price range, but the fact there's some risk that his shooting touch evaporates hardly makes that a guarantee.
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