At first glance, the Knicks offseason appears to mirror the post-LeBron Miami Heat. The Heat doubled down on a season where they exceeded expectations without a star player. They resigned guys like Tyler Johnson (who threw up after hearing the number Miami offered him), and James Johnson to long-term deals that ended up getting moved as negative-value contracts.
The Knicks made similar moves this offseason. They resigned Alec Burks, Derrick Rose, and Nerlens Noel to midsize, three-year deals. It appeared at first the Knicks wre doubling down on a limited roster that was exposed in the playoffs. However, subsequent moves proved they were looking to improve. The Knicks had an exciting season for the first time in a long while, and they capitalized on that momentum by resigning hometown favorites and bringing in more talent.
More Offensive Creation
The Atlanta Hawks handled the Knicks in the first round. The lack of a reliable offensive option outside of Julius Randle put a ceiling on the team’s performance. Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier can step in immediately and give them some perimeter creation.
Walker is a three-level scoring threat that can hit the pull-up three and get off shots in the midrange. While he’s dealt with numerous injuries the past few years, the Knicks can afford to take this swing. A lot of the stars in the next few years have opted to resign with their teams. The Brooklyn trio is going to stay. LeBron James and Anthony Davis look locked into the Lakers. Paul George signed an extention, and there’s no indication Kawhi Leonard wants to leave the Clippers.
The only superstar player that might leave their team in the near future seems to be Bradley Beal, and even then, there’s massive uncertainty.
After multiple years of star-studded free agency, fans have been conditioned for the mass movement each offseason. However, the next few years might see little to no star movement as the current generation of superstars are in organizations they want to be in.
Taking on Walker has massive upside if he can tap into his shot creation ability. He was hampered last year, and the Knicks are getting him without giving up assets.
Evan Fournier was a 20 points per game scorer in Orlando. However, he was overextended at times, but in this situation, he can work more as a movement shooter who can put the ball on the floor a bit. He’s an excellent fit next to Walker, Julius Randle, and RJ Barrett, who like to work with the ball in their hands.
In this past playoffs, the Nets targeted Fournier on switches relentlessly. As a result, teams will look to target Fournier on the floor, which might limit his time. The Knicks might have solutions to prevent him from getting on the other team’s best player, but Fournier on the floor gives opposing offenses a point to attack and get the Knicks in rotation.
Nonetheless, Walker and Fournier will boost the Knicks’ poor offense. The other benefit of bringing those two in is that Derrick Rose and Immanuel Quickley can be scaled down to a bench role. As a result, Rose will have less load, and Quickley won’t have to overextend his abilities. Instead, they can come in off the bench and attack second units.
Ability to acquire star-level contracts
Going back to the thought of limited star movement in free agency, the Knicks might have the new way of acquiring stars, assembling mid-sized contracts to match larger salaries. Elite players have an incentive to stay with their current organizations because they are the only ones that can offer stars a supermax deal. It’s hard to walk away from that much money. So, if a disgruntled star out there wants a new situation, the Knicks have a plethora of medium-size deals to compile into one larger agreement.
Burks, Rose, and Noel are all on three-year deals with a 2023 team option. This stipulation allows the team trading away a star to have flexibility on whether or not they want to clear cap space or keep these players. Their contracts are more favorable, which can entice teams to take the Knicks offer. Additionally, the Knicks have some younger players on rookie-scale deals they can attach as an incentive, such as Obi Toppin, Mitchell Robinson, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley.
The Knicks are in a solid position to acquire an upper-echelon player if there is an opportunity. But, if not, they have a playoff contender, a far cry from a few seasons ago when the Carmelo Anthony era came to an end.
A Semblance of Hope
Most importantly, from this offseason, the Knicks are looking to improve their reputation. There is hope that the Knicks are on an upward trajectory. But, it still is New York. Look at the Lakers, who can bring in stars to elongate their run. The Knicks have the potential to do that, but it’s going to take time to show that’s the case.
They’re a team that plays hard and is tough defensively. However, their roster is begging for an offensive star to come in and uplift the roster.
After multiple years of star-studded free agency, fans have been conditioned for the mass movement each offseason. However, the next few years might see little to no star movement as the current generation of superstars are in organizations they want to be in.
Most importantly, from this offseason, the Knicks are looking to improve their reputation. There is hope that the Knicks are on an upward trajectory. But, it still is New York. Look at the Lakers, who can bring in stars to elongate their run. The Knicks have the potential to do that, but it’s going to take time to show that’s the case.
They’re a team that plays hard and is tough defensively. However, their roster is begging for an offensive star to come in and uplift the roster.
The Knicks have had a successful offseason that allows them to go into many different directions while continuing what they’re building off of from last season.
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