Knicks Rumors: Analyzing Buzz on Tobias Harris, David West and More

The New York Knicks' offseason is already off to a highly entertaining start. Between the fans booing fourth overall pick Kristaps Porzingis at the draft, Phil Jackson being confident he's doing an outstanding job and the rumored rift involving Carmelo Anthony, the headlines have been plentiful.

Now the focus shifts toward free agency. The Knicks must fill several voids before they even become a playoff contender, which is saying a lot in the weaker Eastern Conference, and whether they can attract any top names is a mystery.

With that in mind, let's check out some of the early buzz surrounding New York with the signing period now on the horizon.

Tobias Harris

If the Knicks aggressively pursue Harris, it points toward them following the trend of smaller, more athletic lineups. Either he or Anthony would be forced to play power forward with Porzingis, who possesses good size but needs to bulk up, to center.

It's worth noting the Orlando Magic have the opportunity to match any offer sheet that comes Harris' way. Shams Charania of Real GM reports there's a good chance they will let him walk if the offers are as high as anticipated, though:

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Around the NBA, several teams are believed to be open to preparing a near-max contract for Harris—which could approach $15 million-plus per season, an area the Magic likely elect not to match given the course of extension talks last October and their current team salary structure.

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The report notes the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics are the early favorites to land the 22-year-old forward. That said, the Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers are also listed among the interested teams, as he seeks a near-max contract.

Harris further boosted his value by improving as a three-point threat this past season, which could help a New York side that finished 20th in threes made. He increased his efficiency to a career-best 36 percent from the beyond the arc. So the fit is there, but the competition for his signature is crowded.

David West

Another route the Knicks could go is bringing in a more prototypical power forward like West. While they could attempt to land both him and Harris, using so many resources in one area when there are so many needs on the roster probably isn't the best option.

At 34, the veteran isn't the typical target for a rebuilding franchise. Alas, at this point, the Knicks need bodies to fill out the roster, and he could provide a few years of solid production. Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report is hearing it's a probable match:

West is coming off a down year with the Indiana Pacers that saw him average 11.7 points and 6.8 rebounds. He checks in at 15.5 points per game for his career as a versatile option capable of scoring in the low post with a reliable mid-range game.

If the Knicks can pair him with a defensive-minded center to take some pressure off Porzingis while the rebuild continues, it would be a wise move. While it's not one that's going to make the long-term outlook brighter, short-term stability helps, too.

Depth Re-Signings

Regardless of whether or not the Knicks can make a big splash in free agency, they will have no choice but to make some smaller ripples. Spotrac notes they only have five players under guaranteed contracts before factoring in rookies and those with qualifying offers.

Some of those additions will come from outside the organization. Marc Berman of the New York Post reports Jackson is hoping to retain at least a couple of his own free agents, though, depending on how they are able to juggle the cap space:

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Jackson has desires to re-sign Jason Smith as a backup center and try to lure back combo guard Alexey Shved, who had an excellent brief stint late in the season.

It might be challenging. The Knicks prefer not to use any cap space to do so. But if they don’t renounce their rights, there’s a scenario of being able to re-sign them and go over the cap.

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Shved has bounced around the NBA in recent years but had some impressive performances for the Knicks down the stretch. He averaged 16.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists a game before a rib injury cut his season a bit short. He's certainly worth a look for another year.

Smith is not an overly exciting post option, but New York has virtually no depth down low. So it would be hard to argue bringing him back for a limited bench role after averaging eight points and four rebounds last season. But other moves obviously take precedence.