Knicks Rumors: NY Expected to Pursue Veterans If It Trades for Paul or Westbrook

The New York Knicks could switch gears from rebuilding to contending this offseason if the franchise is able to acquire point guard Chris Paul or Russell Westbrook.

According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, "several teams" expect the Knicks to pursue veteran free agents who could help a playoff push in 2020-21 should Westbrook or Paul end up in New York. The two tracks serve as the biggest choice first-year team president Leon Rose will have to make as he remodels the roster. 

New York would need to move forward Julius Randle in a trade for either Paul or Westbrook to help match salaries, though Randle is exactly the type of player who would help fill out a roster built around an elite point guard. 

Begley floated the likes of Justin Holiday and Danilo Gallinari as possible free-agent additions should the Knicks decide to pull off a trade, noting Gallinari in particular has fans within the organization. 

Further options could include Serge Ibaka, Jeff Teague, Marc Gasol, Derrick Favors, Marcus Morris or Solomon Hill. 

Going down this road, however, would be a major gamble for Rose and would put even more pressure on new head coach Tom Thibodeau. 

New York holds the Nos. 8 and No. 27 picks in Wednesday's draft, and Rose told MSG Network in June he feels he has core pieces in guard R.J. Barrett and center Mitchell Robinson (h/t the New York Post). The hiring of Thibodeau was thought to aide the duo's development, but that would have to take a backseat should Rose decide the club can win now. 

While the need for an elite playmaker in the Knicks backcourt is obvious, deciding to leverage the team's future on aging stars could come back to haunt the franchise. 

In any case, Rose and New York finally have multiple options available to them. That's way more than the franchise has been able to say in recent years.