What is next for the New York Knicks?

What is next for the New York Knicks?

February 18, 2019 Off By John Harrison

The NBA season is currently at the mid-way point and the Knicks currently rank last in their conference at 11-47. The Knicks are off to their worst start since the 2014-2015 season, where they won just 17 games. Currently, only the Phoenix Suns have a worse record than the Knicks at 11-48. It was known to be a rebuilding season, but the question remains, what is next for one of the most popular franchises in all professional sports?

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The Knicks are projected to have a $71 million cap room at the start of free agency next summer. This is enough room for the Knicks to sign two max free agents. This could shape out to be an absurd summer for New York with some of the best names in all of the NBA hitting the open market this season. A few names include Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Jimmy Butler, and Kawhi Leonard. 

There is reason to believe Kevin Durant could potentially be a Knick next summer. This is all speculation for the moment, of course. It’s hard to not get your hopes up if you are a Knicks fan. Durant has already begun the process of moving his investment firm “Thirty Five Ventures” from California to New York. It doesn’t make much sense for Durant to move his firm from California to New York when he lives and plays for the Golden State Warriors. Durant is currently working with ESPN+ to produce a show called “The Boardroom,” which examines the ins and out of the business of sports.

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Last year, LeBron James did a similar thing, as well. James was spending most of his free time in LA. James started producing his show “More Than an Athlete,” which also premiered on ESPN+. Plans for James to create his program started before he even signed with Los Angeles. James also moved his son, LeBron James Jr., from his former school, Old Trail Middle School, located in Akron, Ohio to Crossroads School in Santa Monica, California. Talks of the move were going on before the NBA season even ended last year. Could this be the same for Durant?

Secondly, the Knicks recently acquired DeAndre Jordan from the Mavericks. Although, Jordan is going to be a free agent this summer, the Knicks have already begun to express interest in bringing him back. Jordan is an outstanding basketball player and has been very influential in teaching rookie, Mitchell Robinson, of late. DeAndre Jordan and Kevin Durant are also good friends and have already been teammates on Team U.S.A. Bringing back Jordan could definitely help in the Knicks pursuit of landing Kevin Durant.

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Kyrie Irving is also a strong candidate to land on the Knicks next summer. Kyrie made it known that one of his preferred landing spots was New York when he was getting traded from Cleveland. Every time Kyrie takes the court in New York, the fans show him how much they would love to have him wear orange and blue. In Irving’s last game at MSG, the crowd broke out in “We Want Kyrie” chants. This summer, there is a great possibility this happens. Of course, every team will have interest in signing Kyrie Irving but it’s hard to not imagine the Knicks not being a real possibility. 

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During All Star weekend, reporters noticed Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant together a lot and joking around. Of course, it’s all just speculation at this point, but it’s hard to not imagine them being together all weekend and not discussing their offseason plans. They were teammates of “Team LeBron” this weekend and showed a lot of potential chemistry together. 

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Jimmy Butler is another potential target for the New York Knicks. Butler wants to play for a winner and wants to play for a coach who is going to give it their all. This is a perfect destination for Butler. Knicks coach, David Fizdale, has been known around the league for how he can develop players and build strong relationships with them. He connects very well with players and has gotten high praises from LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh during his tenure with the Miami Heat. Butler left Minnesota because of the lack of effort the team was showing during his time there. Fizdale makes each player work and deserve their minutes. Fizdale hasn’t been shy to sit player’s multiple games if they aren’t performing as well as they should. 

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Butler makes a lot of sense for New York. At 29 years old, he’s still in his prime and he would be taking on the veteran leader of this Knicks team. Butler is already well-respected around the league and known to be vocal. If Butler were to come to New York, players would be looking up to him and looking for guidance. The two-way forward makes a lot of sense for New York. Look for Jimmy Butler to be in talks with the Knicks. 

The Knicks will certainly express interest in Klay Thompson and Kawhi Leonard, however it’s hard to see them coming to New York. Klay and Kawhi are both from Los Angeles. Klay has never left LA, he was born and raised in LA and then drafted by the Golden State Warriors. It’s hard to imagine seeing him pick up and leave fellow “Splash Brother,” Stephen Curry, behind especially after winning three NBA Championships together. Kawhi Leonard has been very open in expressing his interest in playing in Los Angeles, as well. He wants to be with his family and friends. Playing for Los Angeles was a childhood dream for him. Although the Knicks will certainly be in contact with both players, it’s unlikely they will be willing to move across the country to play with New York. 

The Knicks have done a great job in acquiring young talent, whether in free agency, trades, or through the draft. Dennis Smith Jr., Kevin Knox, Alonzo Trier, Mitchell Robinson, and Frank Ntilikina are just some of the many pieces the Knicks possess. These pieces, along with a potential top five draft pick this season, are something for fans of the Knicks to get excited about. The Knicks have such a young team and each game, they’re gathering experience and their chemistry is increasing. 

With the Knicks being the second-worst team in the NBA this season, they have a 14% chance at getting the first-overall draft pick. 14% doesn’t sound like a big number, but it’s due to the NBA’s new adjusted draft lottery odds. The new lottery odds rule goes by stating the bottom three teams share an equal opportunity for the first overall pick; 14%. Previously, the team with the worst record would have a 25% chance at the first overall pick and would not pick lower than forth. The NBA adjusted their draft policy to slightly curb teams from “tanking,” which is the term used for teams purposely not playing at their best to increase their draft lottery odds. 

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This might come to hurt the Knicks this offseason. Even with the second-to-worst record in the NBA, it doesn’t guarantee them a top three draft pick. In fact, they have nearly a 50% chance of picking fifth, despite having a bottom three record. A top-five pick would still be great for the Knicks. There is a lot of talent in this draft and many potential future stars. However, it would be great for the Knicks to land the first overall pick and draft the undisputed number one draft prospect in Zion Williamson from Duke. If the Knicks were to land Zion along with two of the big name free agents and their already young core, they would be setting themselves up to build a dynasty for years to come.

Which duo will most likely be a Knick next season?

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CategoryNBA
Tagsjimmy butler Kawhi leonard kevin durant klay Thompson knicks Kyrie irving LeBron james nba Zion Williamson