Realistic 2016 Free-Agent Targets for the New York Knicks
The good news? There are some solid players on the free-agent market, and the New York Knicks may have $30 million to spend before they hit the cap (which they can go over if they re-sign former players).
The bad news? They have to buy half of a roster with that cash.
New York has only seven players guaranteed—plus two with the option to leave (Derrick Williams and Arron Afflalo). With the cash left, the Knicks will need a starting wing to replace Afflalo when he (hopefully) opts out—one with a reliable jumper who can score in transition. They need a backup big who can pull his weight crashing the glass and protecting the rim. They need a full squad of players who can handle a fast pace and apply pressure on defense.
Unfortunately for the Knicks, some of the best candidates who were affordable at the midseason point have raised their stock prices by shining in the playoffs. They may now be seeking starting gigs or giant paydays, which they won't find in the Big Apple. (Bismack Biyombo of the Toronto Raptors, who stepped up for the injured Jonas Valanciunas, is a prime example.)
So which free agents are the smartest bets for the Knicks when the July dance comes? Who should they rush to ask out first before somebody else does?
Getting the Band Back Together: Thomas, Williams, Galloway
The Knicks needn't look far for some of their best fits.
Lance Thomas looks good in an NYK jersey, and the front office should get him back into one as soon as possible. His numbers don't leap off the stat sheet, but the team looks prettier when he is on the floor. The only players whose on-court presences made a bigger impact on the team's plus/minus were Kristaps Porzingis and Carmelo Anthony.
Thomas knows where to be and when he needs to be there. He won't be late to give help, box out, make space or set a pick. His offense blossomed late in the season, making his stats sparkle just a bit—8.2 points per game at 44.2 percent from the field.
There are others who should suit back up in orange and blue again. If new head coach Jeff Hornacek plans to up the pace of the Knicks offense, Derrick Williams and Langston Galloway are a powerful duo to fit the mold. Galloway is an instinctive rebounder and (can be) a hounding ball thief. Williams runs the 40-yard dash in one second and has a vertical jump of 45 feet. (That might be a slight exaggeration.)
Williams showed vast improvement in rebounding and defending last season, but he still needs help nailing those defensive assignments. Galloway will need help breaking free if he falls into another shooting slump.
Nevertheless, they have goods worth buying. Galloway, like Thomas, makes his team operate more efficiently around him. (And being a combo guard, he can be another option for the Knicks if they struggle in at least one of the backcourt positions.)
If Hornacek plans to run the triangle offense at all, it's essential to have personnel with experience running it.
Evan Turner
To sign Evan Turner, the Knicks would have to pry him away from a promising young playoff team and an excellent, proven coach. However, Turner was a backup who only made $3.245 million last season, and now at age 27, he is looking for his first big payday. The Knicks might be able to pull him away from the Boston Celtics by giving him a place in the starting five—and a salary to match.
The 6'7" Turner, who filled in for Avery Bradley late in the season, is a powerful, two-way swingman who would give the Knicks reliable scoring, stronger defense and more length at the starting 2 spot.
He can drive, post up, create gorgeous shot opportunities for both himself and teammates or generate fast-break buckets with his quick hands. His pressure defense drove opponents nuts, squeezing them a punishing 12.5 percent below their usual field-goal percentages and generating a steal per game. He also averaged a sturdy 45.6 percent from the field, 10.5 points and 4.4 assists on the year.
But you won't get three-pointers. He only shoots 24.1 percent from behind the arc, but that doesn't bother Turner, and it shouldn't bother you. As Turner told Maurice Peebles in an interview with Complex Sports:
"The future is in the mid-range ... I think the three-point shot opens up the court and everything like that, but [Michael Jordan] and all those great players made all of their money out of the mid-range. So I’m not sorry for that at all. Evan M. Turner. For sure, "M" stands for mid-range.
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His abilities to move the ball, push the pace, pick pockets and, yes, score from mid-range more than make up for it, especially for a slow team that was last in the league in forcing turnovers.
Kent Bazemore
If you need threes, though, Kent Bazemore can provide some (35.7 percent from downtown), and he delivers many of the same skills Turner brings to the party.
The 6'5" Bazemore, who is just 26 years old, was a bargain for the Atlanta Hawks last season—a starting swingman who gave them reliable scoring (11.6 points, 44.1 FG%) and tenacious defense (1.3 steals per game, minus-2.9 net defensive FG%) for only $2 million. Although he can drill the long ball, Bazemore racks up most of his points in the paint and on the break. In fact, he's one of the league's best at scoring in transition.
The Hawks were a playoff team, and Bazemore had a breakout season. If the team is smart, it'll try to re-sign him. However, other teams might convince Bazemore that it's smart for him to move on.
Atlanta is poised for an overhaul. Trade talks continue to swirl around starting point guard Jeff Teague. Star big man Al Horford is also an unrestricted free agent this July, and everyone else on the roster hits the market at the end of next season. Bazemore might be better off signing his prime contract with a team that considers him part of a resurgence that's already begun—rather than wedding himself to a team that still hasn't quite decided to begin its rebuild.
The Knicks defense and rebounding sputtered when Robin Lopez and Kristaps Porzingis left the floor simultaneously last season. The team needs a backup who won't let it down.
Joakim Noah may never be Defensive Player of the Year again, but given the right situation, he could thrive again. Noah was hamstrung in the last two seasons by injuries and the major strategy changes made by the Chicago Bulls to add scoring, accommodate the addition of Pau Gasol and please a new coach. He still has the mind and soul of a defensive beast and is one of the best passing big men the game has seen. According to Bleacher Report's Howard Beck, Phil Jackson is likely to come courting when Noah hits the market:
Will Noah consider playing off the bench again? Maybe, as the Knicks have something intriguing to offer him. The starting job may officially be spoken for, but it's taken by Robin Lopez, whose style of play is more similar to Noah's than anyone else in the league. They're agile, defense-minded, high-energy, passing centers. If Hornacek runs an uptempo system that moves the ball, feeds the big man in the low post and takes care of business on defense, it would suit both of the gangly centers with memorable hair and better personalities.
Claiming this is "realistic" might be a stretch, but it's possible if the Knicks sell him the right story and land him at the right price.
Who Else?
There might be some some castaways from the Los Angeles Clippers worth a look. Way over the salary cap in 2015-16 and nudging against it again in 2016-17 despite the skyrocketing ceiling, the Clips are likely using their cap exceptions to re-sign Luc Mbah a Moute, Austin Rivers and Jamal Crawford. At the least, the team should want to, as its options are limited.
Rivers had to step into Chris Paul's legendary shoes during the playoffs. The fact that Rivers didn't entirely crumble under the pressure and that the Knicks are perpetually in search of a point guard makes him interesting. Mbah a Moute might be a boost on the boards and defense, and although Crawford is the ripe old age of 36, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year appears ageless and may be well worth a two-year deal for a New York reunion.
Whoever the Knicks choose to court this offseason, they better have these boys on speed dial. The second the July Moratorium ends, better teams with more to offer will be competing for these gentlemen's affections.
All stats are from NBA.com/stats. Follow Sara Peters on Twitter @3FromThe7.
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