A lot has been made of the Knicks opportunities based on the draft, but not enough noise has been made about the opportunities in free agency.
Despite the class being more-or-less free of stars, there are a lot of complementary players who could fit along with the current players in the Big Apple.
The goal here is to establish a game plan for the picks the Knicks have and how they should approach a COVID offseason.
NBA Draft
LaMelo Ball/Killian Hayes
First, is to know where they pick is and who they’re going to pick. The priority is a rookie point guard and if the Knicks would be lucky enough to win the lottery, all reports point to the youngest Ball brother.
If they’re unable to draft him, the Knicks seem high on Haynes, and there’s the New York connection with Cole Anthony that shouldn’t be ignored. Should they get one of their two top choices, a non-ball reliant shooter would be the most ideal.
Cole Anthony
Now while that’s the perfect situation should they draft Ball or Haynes, with Cole Anthony other free agents, would be more reliable next to him. He suffered greatly from one of the worst UNC teams in recent memory where he had to carry the load on the offensive without another shooter at ANY other position.
For him, a player who could punish a mismatch in a PnR may be more valuable because no one can pass like Ball, and Haynes is a tier above. He would need someone capable of taking advantage of more traditional possessions as he adapts to NBA tempo and spacing.
In the case where Cole Anthony is the Knicks lottery pick, players like Montrezl Harrell or Serge Ibaka would be better fits. They’re both able to take a shot pop or use their size to abuse mismatches. Ibaka can space the floor if he picks his moments.
Free Agency
Davis Bertans
While a former Knick in Gallinari could be a good fit, a better fit would be Davis Bertans. His ability to shoot the ball well on high volume without needing to create is a great fit next to RJ and Mitch.
His shooting gives Mitch more one on one opportunities and opens the floor up for RJ. Collapse on him and you’ll be wishing you hadn’t with how Bertans spaces the floor.
They wouldn’t be the flashiest headlines but it would show that the Knicks were doing what they could to best complement the pieces they deemed as foundational.
If nothing else RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, and the newest rookie would project best next to these free agents due to their fit alongside their strengths and weaknesses.
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