NBA Free Agents: News and Notes Surrounding the New York Knicks
Sometimes it's better to be patient, as the New York Knicks have proven in the early part of NBA free agency.
Fresh off a 17-win season and a highly debated draft pick in Kristaps Porzingis, the hungry Knicks fanbase wants team president Phil Jackson to use New York's cap space to rebuild through free agency, and rightfully so. But the Knicks still have to be reasonable and consider everything in play, both for the short term and in the big picture.
Considering that arguably the best player to switch teams on the first day of free agency was DeMarre Carroll, maybe it's better that the Knicks didn't overpay for someone. Carroll now joins his sixth NBA team in seven seasons and earned himself a $60 million payday, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
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Here's a look at what the Knicks have already done and what they can still do in the coming days to bolster their roster back to respectability.
Knicks Sign Arron Afflalo
Coming off a quiet first day of free agency, Jackson kicked off day two by signing guard Arron Afflalo to a very reasonable two-year, $16 million contract, per ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne.
The Knicks had a gaping hole at shooting guard after trading Tim Hardaway Jr. to the Atlanta Hawks for Jerian Grant on draft night.
Afflalo fills the void nicely, as he averaged 18.2 points per game in 2013-14 with the Orlando Magic before splitting time between the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers last season. Additionally, Afflalo is a career 38.5 percent three-point shooter and should be a viable shooting option when Carmelo Anthony is double-teamed by opposing defenses.
Afflalo, 29, is an excellent perimeter defender who should bring toughness to a Knicks roster that is lacking it in the absence of Iman Shumpert, whom the team traded this past season.
On a reasonable contract, especially considering the market value, signing Afflalo is a good first move for the Knicks, who still have cap space to make more.
Knicks to Meet DeAndre Jordan; Greg Monroe Gone
According to Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times, the Knicks are scheduled to meet with DeAndre Jordan Thursday morning.
He seems like a long shot from all indications, however, as Turner is also reporting that Jordan was very impressed with the Dallas Mavericks.
The Mavs, who just lost center Tyson Chandler to the Phoenix Suns and are always in win-now mode, seem to be a nice fit for the big man.
Still, with Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski reporting that Greg Monroe has agreed to a three-year contract with the Milwaukee Bucks, the Knicks are running out of viable options at center.
They'll need to make a strong presentation to Jordan in order to leapfrog the Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers, and possibly save their offseason.
Robin Lopez Becoming an Option?
With Monroe now off the board, free-agent center Robin Lopez has been heavily linked to the Knicks.
Lopez's twin brother, Brook, signed a three-year extension to stay in Brooklyn Wednesday, according to Wojnarowski, and the Knicks could be attempting to make New York City the "Mecca of Lopez Centers."
Signing Lopez would be a solid backup plan for the Knicks, but it certainly wouldn't be ideal.
Chris Herring of the Wall Street Journal thinks that Lopez is a great fit for the Knicks, however. The Knicks would potentially be able to move Carmelo Anthony back to the 4 spot, where he is a matchup nightmare for opposing teams.
Lopez's career highs are 11.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. If he duplicates them, he could be a solid, cheaper alternative at center for New York.
Enes Kanter on Knicks' Radar
Another alternative option for the Knicks at center is Enes Kanter, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
TNT's David Aldridge seems to disagree with the Kanter assessment and feels as if Lopez is a more likely option for the Knicks.
Kanter, 23, averaged 18.7 points and 11 rebounds per game last season after being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
He seems to have great scoring ability and can crash the boards, but his main issue is rim protection. The 6'11" center averaged only 0.4 blocks per game last year and has never been a big threat to opposing offenses.
Even so, Monroe has the same issue, and Kanter may be a more potent inside scorer than Monroe is. If the Knicks can lure Kanter away from the Thunder, maybe missing out on Monroe will be a blessing in disguise.
Knicks to Trade for David Lee?
David Lee just won an NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors, but he was severely undervalued on a loaded roster.
Now he could be on the move, and the Knicks are the most realistic trade partner, according to Dieter Kurtenbach of KNBR.
Lee played 49 games last season and started just four of them while averaging 18.4 minutes per game.
When Lee is healthy, however, he's an instant double-double threat and could be an interesting offensive weapon for the Knicks.
Lee was an All-Star in his last season with the Knicks in 2009-10 and could be a short-term fix for New York after missing out on Monroe. MSG's Alan Hahn seems to think that bringing Lee back would be a solid move.
If he doesn't work out, he's off the books next summer, and the Knicks can still make a run at free-agent-to-be Kevin Durant.
Knicks Reach Out to Jeremy Lin
Even if the Knicks aren't competitive next season, they could be fun to watch if Linsanity returns, right?
With Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders reporting that the Knicks have contacted Jeremy Lin, it seems possible that the they could bring back their former lightning rod.
With the Knicks already having Jose Calderon, Jerian Grant, Arron Afflalo and Langston Galloway under contract, however, this scenario doesn't seem to make a lot of sense. The Knicks would likely be better off spending their money upgrading their front line with big men, but you never know.
Lin, who shot a career-high 36.9 percent from three-point range last season, has also been linked to the Sacramento Kings, per Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix.
Knicks Looking at Landry Fields?
In other news that would seemingly take the franchise backward instead of forward, Marc Berman of the New York Post is reporting that the Knicks have their eye on Landry Fields.
Fields was a crowd favorite during his time in New York, as he was a relatively unknown second-round draft pick from Stanford who represented a surprising wave of youth the Knicks had in 2010-11. Most of that youth headed to Denver in the Carmelo Anthony trade, and Fields eventually signed with the Toronto Raptors as a free agent, however.
Let's consider that Fields scored a total of 114 points over the last two seasons in Toronto and is now practicing shooting with his other hand. Suddenly, this reunion just got far less interesting.
Moving Forward
There seems to be a lot of uncertainty with which direction Jackson will take his rebuilding Knicks, but at the very least, the team has options.
Although some big names are off the board and it appears the Knicks have swung and missed with some of their targets, others still remain. While they may not have been first options, these players can still come in and help the Knicks, whose roster is bereft of talent.
The next few days will certainly be key for the Knicks' rebuilding process, however. Jackson must make sure to sign the right players at the perfect price to make the Knicks competitive and allow them a chance at sustained success.
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.jpg?w=600 "Offseason Moves for Every Team 👉")