Knicks Rumors: Latest on Possible Russell Westbrook Trade, Gordon Hayward, More
The New York Knicks roster is starting to take shape under new management led by Leon Rose, but there's more work to be done.
The team brought on two talented and exciting rookies in Obi Toppin and Immanuel Quickley. National College Player of the Year Toppin was taken with the eighth pick, and then they showed some shrewd draft board management in trading for the rights to Quickley while netting future draft picks.
Those moves give the team hope for the future, but there's still a season to be played in just over a month.
There are some big names potentially on the trading block the Knicks have been connected to and another who could be landed in free agency. Plus there's the matter of what's going to happen with some of their talent who could hit the open market.
Here's a look at some of the latest developments involving the Knicks.
Team Wants Westbrook but Doesn't Want to Overpay
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With the changing of the guard in Houston and reports of trade requests from both James Harden and Russell Westbrook, there's a chance that both superstars could be departing in the not-so-distant future.
The Rockets' experiment of reuniting Westbrook and Harden while playing no traditional centers didn't result in winning basketball. At least not at the level they were hoping for. Now Daryl Morey is gone and the Rockets could be in for a monumental shift.
Since the report of the trade requests came out, there have been few teams who seem interested in Westbrook, but the Knicks have remained a team connected to the point guard.
First, Marc Stein of the New York Times reported the Charlotte Hornets and Knicks were the only teams with "verifiable interest." Now, Marc Berman of the New York Post is singing a similar tune.
"The Knicks are one of the few teams that would have the cap space to take on Westbrook's contract, but a Hayward signing would make that more difficult. The Knicks want Westbrook, but at a discount," the reporter noted.
The Knicks would be doing the Rockets a favor by taking on Westbrook's contract. He's scheduled to carry cap hits in excess of $40 million each season for the next three years. So while he still posted great numbers last season (27.2 points, 7.0 assists and 7.9 rebounds per game), the fact that he'll be 33 by the time his deal expires makes him a significant cap burden for a team that could soon need to rebuild.
The Knicks would be wise to not overplay their hand and send out the message they aren't desperate for the guard.
Knicks 'In Play' for Gordon Hayward
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The free-agent market got a little stronger with the news from Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe that Gordon Hayward would be opting out of the final year of his contract with the Boston Celtics.
The Knicks are "in play" for the former All-Star, per Marc Stein of the New York Times. That came on the heels of Stein previously reporting that Rose and Co. "have been in aggressive pursuit of Gordon Hayward all week."
Another option would be for the Knicks to trade for Hayward. Ian Begley of SNY.tv reported the front office had interest in trading for him, but that is less likely now that Wednesday's draft has come and gone.
The option Hayward declined would have paid him $34 million, so he is likely aware teams would pay him more over the course of a longer contract.
The 30-year-old forward posted his best season since joining the Celtics in 2017. He had averaged more points, rebounds and assists per game than any of his other Boston seasons and was the healthiest he's been after missing nearly the entire season his first year and playing a reduced role in 2018.
Hayward would add a veteran scoring punch and experience to a group of forwards that is incredibly young as it stands. The Knicks are one of few teams who can afford to get aggressive with their cap situation. The question is whether they want to spend what it would take to get Hayward at the expense of the ability to land an even bigger prize like Westbrook.
Bobby Portis And/or Taj Gibson Could Be Back
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Leon Rose didn't just get attention with the draft; he also wasted no time in carving out $40 million in cap space by either releasing or declining options for several veterans who played under the previous regime. Among those cut or declined were Elfrid Payton, Taj Gibson, Wayne Ellington, Bobby Portis, Kenny Wooten and Theo Pinson.
That's a lot of bodies, but it also doesn't completely rule out that any of those players will be coming back.
Ian Begley of SNY.tv reported there is "mutual interest" in both Portis and Gibson, and both could return on less expensive deals.
Gibson especially makes sense for the club given his experience with new head coach Tom Thibodeau. The veteran power forward played for the coach both in Chicago and Minnesota and would bring a familiarity with the system as well as chemistry with the team to the table.
The 35-year-old was set to make $9.45 million this season but would have a hard time finding that on the open market.
Portis, on the other hand, figures to be a bit more costly. The big averaged 10.1 points and 5.1 rebounds coming off the bench in New York last season but will be just 25 years old at the start of the upcoming season. He's more likely to find a team willing to help him recoup his losses from having his $15.8 million option declined.
