Ranking Knicks' Priorities for 2022 NBA Free Agency
After trending up last season only to fall back down during this one, the New York Knicks have a chance to right the ship during the 2022 NBA offseason.
It will take some creativity to make that happen, though.
The Knicks have only two players ticketed for free agency and no practical cap space at their disposal. They could trade their way to about $20 million in spending room, but they would need to sniff out both willing trade partners and interested free agents worth that kind of maneuvering.
When the front office maps out its plans for free agency, the following three items—ranked by significance—should top the priority list.
1. Probing for a Point Guard
1 of 3
The Knicks need a needle-moving point guard.
If they can't find one, an above-average option might top anyone on the roster.
The position has been a sore spot for this squad for years (decades?), and it's one that makes it tough to fully gauge this roster. The 'Bockers don't seem to be suffering from a lack of talent, but the pieces don't always align. Perhaps the right point guard could solve the puzzle.
The Knicks could take a big swing at Jalen Brunson, but they would need a sign-and-trade to make that happen. If that option proves too costly—or if the Dallas Mavericks are unwilling to play ball—then maybe the rock-solid (albeit unspectacular) Tyus Jones could catch New York's eye.
2. Pricing Mitchell Robinson's New Deal
2 of 3
Mitchell Robinson cracked the short list of New York's best players this season. He just celebrated his 24th birthday in April.
Given the Knicks' trajectory and his own, you might think that positions the unrestricted-free-agent-to-be as a no-doubt keeper. However, it's not as clear-cut as it seems.
For starters, he's an interior center, and the modern NBA has increasingly devalued that player type. Rather than fork over the bag, the 'Bockers might deem it more cost-effective to plug in cheaper options in the middle. They might already have the personnel to do it, between Nerlens Noel, Jericho Sims and as many small-ball center minutes as coach Tom Thibodeau is comfortable extending to Julius Randle or Obi Toppin.
Robinson's lack of offensive range is particularly challenging for this club, since its top two scorers (Randle and RJ Barrett) both do their best work inside the arc. Clogging the middle with Robinson might put a non-elite ceiling on this attack.
Then again, if you're a Robinson believer, you might see Defensive Player of the Year potential in him, not to mention his defense-warping ability to finish lob plays. Letting him walk for nothing could prove catastrophic if he realizes his full potential elsewhere.
3. Bargain-Hunting in Extension Talks
3 of 3
How much higher can Barrett stretch his ceiling? That seems impossible to answer for a 21-year-old, and yet it's an inquiry this front office must tackle as 2019's No. 3 pick becomes extension-eligible this offseason.
Have the Knicks seen enough to drop a max offer in front of him? That feels aggressive. He is above-average to good in a lot of areas but great in none of them. Maybe the Knicks think they can coax greatness out of him yet, but is that belief strong enough to warrant a massive payday? Or, if they're less convinced of his future, can they put a more modest offer on the table and not think they are at risk of alienating a potential cornerstone?
Also, does anyone have a grasp on the franchise's true feelings about Cam Reddish? The front office saw enough in 2019's No. 10 pick to sacrifice a first-round pick to bring him to the Big Apple, but Thibodeau didn't see enough to grant Reddish regular rotation minutes for his first month with the Knicks. Reddish finally settled into a reserve role, then was lost to a shoulder injury just 12 games later.
Does New York have any incentive to extend an extension offer this summer? Does Reddish, whose potential far outshines his actual production, have a reason to consider signing anything this offseason instead of placing the proverbial bet on himself and booking a one-way trip to 2023 restricted free agency?
Both situations are clear as mud, which is less than ideal since the decisions the Knicks make on both extensions could shape a not insignificant portion of the franchise's future.
