The New York Knicks have very little flexibility when it comes to navigating the NBA free agency market. They will be forced to find hidden gems with only minimum contracts to offer. There are still some great options who could contribute to the reigning NBA Champions next season. Here are three of the best options that fit in New York.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper is easily the best value free agent available on the market. A team that adds him to the bottom of their rotation will be getting an absolute steal, and the Knicks should be one of those teams trying to get him. He could come in and contribute to the rotation on day one, giving backup minutes at the PF position. Prosper had an awesome year last season with the Memphis Grizzlies. He averaged ten points a night and shot 40% from three in 2.5 attempts per game, both being career highs. He also shot 65% of two-point attempts.
Ochai Agbaji would be a great addition to the very back of the Knicks roster. He is a fantastic defender who thrives as a cutter on offense. The three-point shot hasn’t developed, but he has still shown he can be a capable scorer. He has experience playing high-volume minutes, averaging over 27 minutes a game a few years ago. He could come in and give some quality minutes from the backup three while providing extra depth if something happened to a guard.
Gary Payton II would give New York the versatility they need off the bench. Right now, they are really relying on Jordan Clarkson as the only “forward” off the bench. Payton can play the 1-3 and give them defense that would pair great next to some of their smaller guards. Adding someone with that level of versatility to a team that doesn’t feature much off the bench would be a great move.
The Knicks don’t need to add much to get right back into contention, but they definitely can’t stand still. Adding a backup center via trade and at least one contributor on a minimum contract would be the best approach to the remainder of the NBA offseason for New York.
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