Ranking Every New York Knicks Player After Free Agency

The New York Knicks are nothing if not dramatic.

They've had a turbulent offseason, jettisoning President Phil Jackson and replacing him with Steve Mills. Scott Perry also became the new general manager.

The Knicks have also tried their best to trade Carmelo Anthony and rid themselves of the daily drama having him brings.

Justin Holiday, Marshall Plumlee and Maurice Ndour won't be back next year. By all appearances, it doesn't look like Derrick Rose will be, either. And with Jackson out of the way, Sasha Vujacic is probably gone, too.

Let's examine the new-look Knicks. 

I ranked the 12 players currently under contract on more than just "who is best." I considered which players were best for the future, as the Knicks are in full rebuilding mode.

Rotation

Aaron Gash/Associated Press

12. Chasson Randle, PG

Randle is a fringe NBA player who appeared in 26 games last year for the Knicks and 76ers combined. He averaged 5.3 points and 1.3 assists for two teams in desperate need of point guard help.

If he's seeing much court time next year, it most likely means something has gone wrong.

11. Mindaugas Kuzminskas, SF

Kuzminskas played 68 games for the Knicks last year, averaging 6.3 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists. He has a nice little teardrop and good touch around the rim, but he also misses a lot of wide-open shots.

It would be nice to write that off as rookie struggles, but the Lithuanian wing will turn 28 on Oct. 19, so the growth potential is limited.

10. Joakim Noah, C

Noah's best years are behind him, but that didn't matter when the Knicks gave him a four-year, $72 million contract last summer while seemingly bidding against themselves.

His season was cut short by surgery on his right rotator cuff. And the start of next season will be delayed by a 20-game suspension, which is why he's not listed with the starters. Regardless, it's hard to see him as part of the long-term future, and he's an easy candidate for the stretch provision.

9. Courtney Lee, SG

Mostly a three-and-D guy, Lee is as good or bad as the team around him. He's not talented enough to elevate a team, but his skills are complete enough that he doesn't create holes by being in the lineup.

He'll be 32 when the team tips off next year. He's not part of the future, but he does make interesting trade fodder.

8. Kyle O'Quinn, C

O'Quinn averaged 6.3 points and 5.6 boards last year, solid numbers considering he only played 15.6 minutes per game. In fact, his 20.5 PER was tops on the Knicks last season.

He's also a decent defender. Opponents shoot 10.7 percentage points worse against him within six feet of the rim, per NBA.com. But at 27, he may also be a trade candidate, according to ESPN.com's Ian Begley.

7. Lance Thomas, F

Thomas shot 44.7 percent from deep last year, and he's a plus-defender who can guard the 1 through 4. He's tough and gritty and does all the little things.

On a decent team, he'd be more appreciated, but it's hard to be the glue guy on a team where none of the pieces fit together. The Knicks would be wise to keep him around on his team-friendly deal.

6. Frank Ntilikina, PG

Drafting Ntilikina will be Jackson's last notable move with Knicks. It should turn out to be a smart one.

He can shoot and create off the bounce, and he has good court vision. With his 7'1" wingspan, he can also guard multiple positions. He's the ideal fit for the modern NBA and could become a star.

4. Ron Baker, PG

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

Baker is slated to be the Knicks' starting point guard, but that's a tentative position.

He got a generous two-year, $8.9 million deal—another of the bidding against no one variety. Weirdly, he has a player option, which benefits the Knicks in no way and Baker in every way.

Baker was serviceable last year but hardly enough to suggest he's ready to lead the team into the future.

Offensively, he has some shortcomings. Some of his passes are off-target and tend to pull teammates out of the play. He misses open shots (25.8 percent from deep on catch-and-shoots). And if he does break down the defense on drives, he tends to miss the shot (33.3 percent).

On defense, he acquits himself better. He stays in front of the ball-handler and plays with energy. He doesn't overreact to fakes, close out too hard or make undisciplined plays. He has the potential to grow into a strong defensive player.

There may be room for him to grow, but there's a good chance this becomes another one of those contracts Knicks fans are lamenting a year from now, wondering why Baker has a player option.

3. Willy Hernangomez, C

Julie Jacobson/Associated Press

ESPN's Zach Lowe said that two second-round picks for Hernangomez might have been Jackson's best move as GM. While I'm not ready to go that far, it does illustrate Jackson's ability to scout overseas talent. It's why I'm not ready to decree Ntilikina a mistake based on Dennis Smith Jr.'s summer-league performance.

Hernangomez is an effective scorer, averaging 16.0 points per 36 minutes, and solid rebounder (13.6 boards per 36). He shot 52.9 percent from the field.

However, while he's a serviceable defender, there's an issue, as Bleacher Report's Yaron Weitzman noted:

Most of the issues have come on the defensive end, where the pairing of Hernangomez and Porzingis often looks ill-equipped to keep up with the modern NBA game. Both are more comfortable defending from the back line as opposed to chasing shooters around the perimeter. The problem is that most teams keep four shooters on the floor at all times. 

There is a way to make this work, although chasing shooters might fall on the more athletic Porzingis. If it does, the Knicks could have a modern-day version of twin towers.  

Hernangomez will take the starting job through at least the first 20 games. If he establishes himself, Noah could be coming off the bench after returning from his suspension.

2. Tim Hardaway Jr., SG

Nick Wass/Associated Press

It's not a Knicks offseason until there's a signing that leaves everyone scratching their heads. The Knicks signed restricted free agent Tim Hardaway Jr. to a four-year, $70.9 million deal. Bleacher Report's Dan Favale ranked it as the worst shooting guard contract in the NBA (incidentally, Noah's was the worst among centers).

He wrote: "The Knicks are the only party worth crucifying here. Close to 17 percent of their cap is going to a player who didn't crack the top 75 in any kitchen-sink metrics last season, and who has never been a plus-defender."

It's not that Hardaway is a "bad" player. He's just not a $17-plus-million-a-year player.

Hardaway was unimpressive enough in his first stint with the Knicks that they gave him up for Jerian Grant, whom they gave up for Derrick Rose (in part), whose rights they renounced to ink Hardaway in a circle-of-ball-is-life scenario that only the Knicks could pull off.

Hardaway can score. Overall, he was in the 78th percentile in points per possession at Synergy. But here's the issue: Only 227 of his points came with him as the ball-handler in the pick-and-roll or in isolation. Most of his scoring was either on spot-ups or in transition.

Especially if Anthony isn't playing, the Knicks don't have an elite—or even average—shot-creator on the roster, with the possible exception of Ntilikina.

That's coupled with the fact that Hardaway is an often-disengaged defender, and bad teams tend to see folks lose interest. It's scary to think what he's going to be on the defensive end come January when the Knicks are vying for the most lottery balls.

There's some chance we look back at this and don't consider it a bad contract, but there's almost none that we look back on it and consider it a steal.

5. Carmelo Anthony, SF

Julie Jacobson/Associated Press

Anthony is the Knicks' second best player, but it's very unlikely he's part of the future. 

Daniel Popper of the New York Daily News wrote:

"With new GM Scott Perry to his right, Mills discussed the values he will emphasize as the team's new president—'pride, work ethic, accountability and defense'—and spoke confidently about the team's 'core.' He mentioned four names: Kristaps Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr., Frank Ntilikina and Willy Hernangomez.

"Noticeably absent from the list was the Knicks' highest-paid player, Carmelo Anthony, who Mills made clear is not part of the franchise's long-term plans."

There are only two questions: When does he leave and under what circumstances?

The Knicks would love to trade him, and if it weren't for his no-trade clause, they probably could have done a deal with the Trail Blazers by now. But Anthony only seems interested in Cleveland or Houston, and neither is an ideal trade partner.

We're in a holding pattern, where no trades are in the works and Mills is insisting there will be no buyout. But the Knicks don't have much leverage.

1. Kristaps Porzingis, PF

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

They don't call Porzingis the unicorn for nothing.

I wrote recently for FanRagSports about the unicorn horn, called the alicorn, which was alleged to have healing and purifying powers. If you know anything about the Knicks, you know they need healing and purifying.

As a player, Porzingis has extraordinary potential. His ability to score, defend, rebound and shoot is unmatched from a guy who stands 7'3" with a 7'6" wingspan.

He is the only player ever to average 25 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and two threes per 100 possessions. He's athletic and smart and the prototype for the modern NBA big man. The Knicks need to build around him and Ntilikina.

The two have skills that would intertwine seamlessly in the high pick-and-roll. It's easy to see the rookie driving to the rim, kicking it to Porzingis for the three, or stopping and popping from deep if the defender goes under the screen.

It's also easy to see Porzingis rolling, cutting or catching and shooting with equal aplomb. 

As bad as things are for the Knicks, and as murky as things got last year, they do have a foundation. Maybe Porzingis can bring a little alicorn to the party.