Knicks Rumors: Latest on Enes Kanter, Potential Courtney Lee, Joakim Noah Trades
The New York Knicks won just 29 games last year as they failed to make the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season. It's been another long decade for New York, which has made the postseason just four times since 2001.
However, things may be turning around in Madison Square Garden, as the front office seems committed to getting younger and starting from scratch. That's the Knicks' best bet moving forward, as they are many pieces away from contending for an NBA crown.
Here's a look at some recent rumors surrounding the team.
Enes Kanter
Ian Begley of ESPN reported that it's looking likely Knicks center Enes Kanter is back with the team next year:
Kanter scored 14.1 points per game thanks to a career-high 59.2 percent field-goal percentage. He also grabbed 11.0 rebounds per game, which also matched a career-best figure.
There's no doubting Kanter's ability to drop double-doubles regularly, nor is there a question regarding his offensive efficiency. Both traits served as useful assets for the Knicks last year.
But on the other end, Kanter has struggled, as he ranked just 73rd in defensive real plus-minus among 84 centers, per ESPN. He was 68th out of 71 big men the year before and second-last out of 60 centers in 2015-16.
Although Kanter is just 26 years old, it's hard seeing the seven-year veteran improve too much on the defensive end given recent trends. Still, he's a valuable player who should provide a stopgap for the team down low as it transitions into a new era.
As for beyond 2019, the guess here is that both sides part ways with the Knicks looking to get even younger, although it's not impossible seeing Kanter stick around if he continues his efficient production.
New York's Future Plans/Shedding Contracts
Al Iannazzone of Newsday provided some insight on the New York Knicks' future plans:
"Things can change, of course. But the Knicks won't have much room to spend in free agency and are not built to win now. So don't expect them to make a push for LeBron James despite his relationship with new Knicks coach David Fizdale. Their plan is to not sign anyone to long-term deals and to shed contracts that have more than one year remaining. That means Courtney Lee and Joakim Noah might not be Knicks much longer."
One look at the New York Knicks' roster reveals this team's direction: The team just drafted 18-year-old Kevin Knox and 20-year-old Mitchell Robinson. The former player was in college just one season and was one of the youngest players taken in the draft. The latter player was slated to attend Western Kentucky but did not attend. Ultimately, both players are far from polished products, and the Knicks need to spend a lot of time developing their skill sets.
Elsewhere, 2017 first-round pick Frank Ntilikina is just 19, while All-Star big man Kristaps Porzingis is 22. Both are significant parts of the team's long-term plans.
The Knicks benched veterans last year in favor of trying out some new blood, including 22-year-old Emmanuel Mudiay and 25-year-old Trey Burke. They'll likely continue that trend this year as they give more court time to their young players and let them learn on the fly.
That leaves veterans such as center Joakim Noah and wing Courtney Lee out of the picture: Both have two years remaining on their current deals, and the Knicks would have to either find a trade partner or buy them out at this juncture.
Justin Harper
Begley also reported on one notable name who will be joining the Knicks' summer league team:
Harper is a 6'10", 225-pound forward who was drafted 32nd overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2011. He's bounced around the basketball world since then, with cups of coffee with the Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons and Philadelphia 76ers being his most notable stops. Overall, he's played 22 NBA games and averaged 2.0 points in 6.8 minutes of action.
The former Richmond Spider played four years in college, capping off his career with 17.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game in his senior season. He also shot 53.4 percent from the field, including 44.8 percent from the three-point line.
Ultimately, it's difficult seeing Harper making the Knicks' active roster, especially with the team looking to rebuild and go young, but it wouldn't be shocking to see him use a strong summer-league performance to catch on to the end of another team's roster elsewhere.
