Knicks' 2021 NBA Free-Agent Big Board, Top Players to Target

Caution flags used to fly any time the New York Knicks had money to spend.

But 'Bockers backers have reasons to be excited about where their franchise is entering the offseason and where it might be sitting coming out of it.

As Knicks legend and current broadcaster Walt "Clyde" Frazier might put it, this squad spent the season rising and surprising. Expectations were nonexistent, but New York came out of nowhere to snag the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, netting Julius Randle an All-Star selection and the Most Improved Player award, while Tom Thibodeau collected Coach of the Year honors.

The Knicks are moving and grooving, and they can keep the momentum going with a productive offseason. With cap space galore and a major market with a playoff roster to sell, New York can dream as big as it wants this summer.

1. Kawhi Leonard

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Pie-in-the-sky target? You bet. But the Knicks have the money to chase their dreams.

To be clear, Kawhi Leonard seems highly unlikely to leave the Los Angeles Clippers. He left behind a world champion in Toronto to go back home and join the Clippers. He handpicked Paul George as his running mate. L.A. is positioned to contend for championships for as long as that duo stays together.

That shouldn't bother the Knicks. Leonard is a generational talent. If you have the money to potentially bring him onboard, you give chase 11 times out of 10.

Again, all signs point to the 29-year-old staying put. But if you're the Knicks, you don't prematurely take yourself out of the running, you let him make that decision.

Worst-case scenario is you move on to the players you would've targeted other than Leonard in the first place; best-case scenario is you just rostered one of the five best players on the planet and immediately changed your franchise's outlook.

2. Lonzo Ball

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This would make a ton of sense. And not just because Lonzo Ball's off-court stardom could reach even another level with a Big Apple backdrop.

This is about basketball. More specifically, it's about the Knicks having a years-long (at least) issue at point guard and Ball looming as a 23-year-old potential solution.

Forget whatever you think you know about his father or his formerly funky shooting form. Ball is a big-time hooper. He's on a short list of the league's most creative and instinctive passers. He can defend multiple spots around the perimeter. And his work ethic is such that he transformed from a shooting liability into a floor-spacing asset while still on his rookie contract.

His future is bright, and it could help brighten New York's overall. He tries hard enough on defense to avoid Thibodeau's doghouse, and Ball's improved shot-making means he wouldn't disrupt the touches reserved for Randle and RJ Barrett.

Ball would make the Knicks better next season and maybe a lot better as his game matures over the following years.

3. Spencer Dinwiddie

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As much as the Knicks need a lift at point guard, they need to be careful about overextending themselves in free agency. They aren't close enough to contending to commit serious cash to a 30-something like Mike Conley or Chris Paul.

Spencer Dinwiddie is 28, less than two years older than Randle. Dinwiddie can fit this core, and he shouldn't be as pricey as some of those higher-profile point guards, since he's still working his way back from a partially torn ACL.

He would be a really interesting dart throw for this front office. When he's right, he can pile up production in bunches. Last season, he was one of 13 players to average 20 points and six assists. He and De'Aaron Fox are the only ones in that group who haven't made an All-Star appearance.

The Knicks need more shot-creators. That was obvious when the Atlanta Hawks dared someone other than Julius Randle to beat them and no one could. Dinwiddie could alleviate a lot of that pressure.