The New York Knicks are an absolute mess heading in to the offseason. After a busy summer of 2016, the Knicks went 31-51 and finished 10 games back of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference this past season. New York will enter this summer with more problems than solutions. Carmelo Anthony is another year older and set to make more than $26 million next season. Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings are both free agents. Kristaps Porzingis is a rising star but he is already unhappy with his surroundings in New York. Management will need to act fast in order to turn things around. Here is a look at five low-cost free agents the Knicks should target.
SG: Dion Waiters, Miami Heat
Waiters is coming off the best season of his career. While he loves the Heat and has a lot of respect for them, there is a good chance he leaves. The math is simple: he has a $3 million player option and he’ll get much more than that on the open market. The Heat liked him as a cheap flier. Do they want to keep him if he’s commanding $10 million a year or more?
The Knicks are one of several teams that should have Waiters on their radar. Waiters averaged 15.8 points, 4.3 assists and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 42-percent from the field. The fourth-overall pick from the 2012 NBA Draft is only starting to tap in to his immense potential as a shooter. At 25-years-old, Waiters could be a solid pickup for a team like New York that needs help at the shooting guard position.
PG: Trey Burke, Washington Wizards
The ninth pick of the 2013 NBA Draft is set to become a free agent following a decent year with the Washington Wizards. Burke averaged 14.6 points and 5.1 assists per 36 minutes with the Wizards. The issue is that he didn’t get many minutes behind John Wall. His shooting ability combined with a solid points per possession should make him an intriguing free agent option this offseason. He needs a team that will give him the opportunity to be a starter again and the Knicks have a whole to fill at the position.
Burke’s lack of size and defensive ability are two weaknesses. However, his scoring potential could make up for it as a free agent the Knicks should consider targeting.
PF: Nikola Mirotic, Chicago
Mirotic has been inconsistent in Chicago. There have been times when he looks like a future star and times when he looks downright awful. Mirotic has averaged 12.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists on 60.6-percent true shooting over the course of his career. The feeling is that he has untapped potential that could blossom in a more conducive environment.
The issue here is that Mirotic is restricted. There could very well be someone (read: the Knicks) that offers Mirotic a contract that the Bulls simply don’t want to match. That’s a likely scenario as the Bulls don’t view him as a franchise cornerstone. The Knicks could very well be interested in Mirotic as a stretch forward.
SF: James Johnson, Miami
Johnson proved he could be a force with the Heat this past season. Johnson averaged 12.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game for Miami this past year and that should have him on the list for a number of teams that are interested. Johnson will turn 31 next season but he is still more than capable of playing at a high level at the power forward position. Johnson could provide a physical edge for a Knicks team that is in need of exactly that. New York might want to entertain the idea of locking up Johnson with a multi-year contract.
PF: JaMychael Green, Memphis
Green is a 6’9’’ power forward that shoots 38.2-percent from beyond the arc. That is a very unique skill set that should have plenty of NBA teams interested in him. Green averaged 8.9 points and 7.1 rebounds in just 27.3 minutes per game for the Grizzlies this past season. He will turn 27-years-old this summer so he still has a couple of years of his prime left to offer. The Knicks need help at the power forward position so it would make sense that they would consider Green in free agency this summer.
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