Knicks Rumors: Examining New York's Most Realistic Free-Agent Possibilities

The New York Knicks will set their sights on just about every free agent on the market this season, but the question is which ones will end up playing at Madison Square Garden.

According to ESPN.com's Chris Broussard, the team will have meetings with big-time forwards LaMarcus Aldridge and DeAndre Jordan, although both players might be considered long shots for a team that finished 17-65 last season.

David West is also a possibility, although Marc Berman of the New York Post reported "an NBA source said West, at his age, is not coming to the Knicks because he wants to play for a team closer to title contention."

On the plus side, there are still players willing to join the Knicks and could be quality fits for the upcoming season. According to the latest buzz around the league, these free agents have a good chance of ending up in New York.

Arron Afflalo

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Aside from Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks are light on perimeter scorers. This is where Arron Afflalo could be useful after averaging double-digit points in each of the past five seasons.

After the veteran guard officially became a free agent, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reported the Knicks are the favorites to sign him.

Afflalo could provide some much-needed outside scoring for a team that doesn't have many established starters. Although he managed just 13.3 points per game last season for the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers, he had an excellent season two years ago with the Orlando Magic. In 73 games he scored 18.2 points per game, making 42.7 percent of his shots from three-point range.

Not only could he provide an immediate upgrade, but Afflalo might not require a long-term commitment either, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated:

This could allow the Knicks to be more competitive in the short term while still continuing a rebuilding plan with flexibility for the future. If the two sides can come to an agreement, it would be the best of both worlds for New York.

Danny Green

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This might be a more difficult pull than Afflalo, as Danny Green appears to be entering his prime at 28 years old. The San Antonio Spurs star is coming off his best season as a pro, averaging a career high of 11.7 points per game.

Green has also been one of the top shooters in the NBA in recent years, making 42 percent of his three-point attempts in his career.

Although a lot of teams will be interested in signing the shooting guard, including the Spurs, the Knicks also want to be "in the mix," according to Ian Begley of ESPN New York.

Marc Berman of the New York Post provided a look at the team's plans:

Berman added, "According to a source, Green, who is from North Babylon, considers the Knicks high on his list but remaining with the Spurs, where he helped win the 2014 title, is his top choice."

Green obviously has a nice role with San Antonio, but the Knicks have the opportunity to provide an offer the Spurs simply can't match with so many other top stars on the books. The Long Island native could also be ready to return close to home for a team that could really use his help.

This type of elite shooter would help out the team regardless of fit for the future.

Greg Monroe

It's likely Greg Monroe's time with the Detroit Pistons has come to an end. The two sides couldn't come to a long-term deal last offseason when the center was a restricted free agent, and he doesn't fit in the offense alongside Andre Drummond.

While the player who averaged 15.9 points and 10.2 rebounds per game last season will have plenty of opportunities around the league, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reported he is likely to end up with the Knicks:

Interestingly, this doesn't exactly mesh with what the 25-year-old player said he was looking for in his next team.

“I’m looking to be with a team that’s ready to win,” Monroe recently explained, per Darrell Williams of the Advocate. “Hopefully it will be a team where I’m the missing piece.”

The Knicks clearly aren't one player away from a championship, even if Monroe does expand his level of play and Carmelo Anthony is completely healthy. Still, he would have an opportunity to be a top offensive option on a growing team as well as a marketable figure in New York City.

If Monroe wants to join, the Knicks would certainly have him.  

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