With the 2018 NBA season coming to a close on the backs of the Toronto Raptors and Kawhi Leanard, the New York Knicks will now begin meddling in free agency.
With Kevin Durant tearing his Achilles and expected to miss all of 2019, the premium players are dropping like flies. Add in Klay Thompson’s knee injury, Kyrie Irving’s desire to join the Brooklyn Nets, and Kemba Walker being loyal to the Hornets stating he would take less than a max deal, and the Knicks are in big trouble.
It’s possible they still pursue Durant despite his injury, but it would require them to unload a massive amount of money for essentially no value. However, his return in 2020 would put the organization in a good position to win immediately, especially if they collect another top pick and provide RJ Barrett with a year’s worth of experience.
The New York Knicks could be forced into making a difficult decision:
The scenario where the Knicks save some of their money and stick to their youth guns isn’t a bad one, in fact, it could be the only one after the smoke clears. It’s expected that general manager Scott Perry will pursue Kawhi Leonard in free agency — he believes a meeting is more than possible.
The likeliness of convincing a player like Leonard to come to the bright lights of New York is, well…unlikely. It’s not impossible, though.
Sticking with Durant and allowing him to fully heal for a year while the Knicks continue to develop their youth isn’t a bad idea. They should stay far away from a potential Anthony Davis trade and begin to think about how they can utilize their ample cap-space to build a competent team capable of winning in the NBA.
It’s getting to a point where the organization could be deemed stagnant if they don’t make any moves this offseason.