Knicks Rumors: Latest Buzz on Spencer Dinwiddie, Evan Fournier, More

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The New York Knicks made positive strides during the 2020-21 season. They went 41-31 and made it to the playoffs, marking the first time they reached the postseason since 2013.

In order to build on that performance, they could be in the market for some of the top players on the free-agent market. If they are successful in landing one or two, they could be poised to make a deep playoff run next season.

Free agency begins Friday at 12:01 p.m. ET, but NBA teams can start negotiating with players Monday at 6 p.m. ET.

Here's some of the latest buzz surrounding the Knicks with free agency drawing closer.

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Spencer Dinwiddie may not be returning to the Brooklyn Nets for the 2021-22 season, as he recently declined his player option. But the 28-year-old point guard may not be moving far.

SNY's Ian Begley reported recently that there are some members of the Knicks organization who want to pursue Dinwiddie during free agency. And with nearly $50 million in cap space, New York could "exceed most offers," with the "prospect of remaining in New York" appealing to Dinwiddie, according to Begley.

Dinwiddie was limited to three games during the 2020-21 season because he suffered a partially torn right ACL. That was after he had a career showing in 2019-20, when he averaged 20.6 points and 6.8 assists in 64 games for Brooklyn.

It's not a sure thing that Dinwiddie would go to the Knicks, though. Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer reported that Dinwiddie could join the Washington Wizards in a sign-and-trade move, as the Wizards are looking for a new point guard after trading Russell Westbrook to the Los Angeles Lakers.

If the Knicks miss out on Dinwiddie, Begley reported that Devonte' Graham, Kendrick Nunn and Kyle Lowry could be among their other free-agent options.

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In March, Evan Fournier was traded from the Orlando Magic to the Boston Celtics, for whom he played in 16 games down the stretch. Now, the 28-year-old shooting guard is an unrestricted free agent, so he has control over who his next team will be.

There's a possibility that Fournier could soon be playing for the Knicks, as Begley reported that there's "mutual interest" between the parties.

"Fournier had significant support in the organization prior to Thursday's draft," Begley wrote. "It doesn't seem like anything that happened on draft night would change that."

Over his nine-year NBA career, Fournier has developed into a strong wing player. This past season, he averaged 17.1 points in 42 games while shooting 45.7 percent from the field. He also shot a career-best 41.3 percent from three-point range, so his perimeter shooting could provide a boost to New York.

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It appears the Knicks have interest in guards other than Dinwiddie and Fournier. They also could be targeting a pair of former Lakers who are set to hit free agency.

According to Fischer, New York "has been linked to" Dennis Schroder and Talen Horton-Tucker this offseason. Like the other guards the Knicks may pursue, either Schroder or Horton-Tucker would be a valuable addition to the team's backcourt.

Schroder is an unrestricted free agent, so he may be the likelier of the two to end up in New York. The 27-year-old averaged 15.4 points and 5.8 assists in 61 games last season, his first (and potentially only) with the Lakers.

Horton-Tucker is a restricted free agent, so Los Angeles could bring him back by matching any offer sheets he may receive this offseason. The 20-year-old had only six games of NBA experience entering the 2020-21 season, when he averaged 9.0 points in 65 games for the Lakers.

It will be interesting to see which guards the Knicks land as they are sure to be active during the early stages of free agency.