mollyfamwatTwo years ago the New York Knicks signed JaVale McGee to a 2 year $11 million contract. The contract was a horrible decision, but it was made with the full support and resources of a newly-crowned NBA champion. Now, with the Knicks set to rebuild, they have been among the biggest bidders on some of the more intriguing free agents.
An NBA reporter with a lot of experience covering New York Knicks basketball during John Calipari’s tenures as head coach of the team, John Schuhmann, recently penned a blog post about the Knicks’ mistakes in their free agency so far, and their pending mistakes in the upcoming NBA Free Agency.
The New York Knicks are a mess. Even after a solid summer of free agency, the Knicks are still not close to being a consistent contender. The team signed three players: Hardaway, Mills, and Bridges. All three players are decent players who will help, but the Knicks still have a long way to go before being a contender. Here is my prediction for how the Knicks will do in 2021, and what one mistake they will make.. Read more about nba free agent and let us know what you think.
The Knicks are coming off their finest season in eight years. They qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2013, when Carmelo Anthony was destroying rival teams night after night. Despite ending the postseason drought at Madison Square Garden, the Julius Randle-led team was eliminated in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs by Trae Young’s Atlanta Hawks.
After securing a playoff berth last season, they approach next season with a lot of hope and excitement. Randle signed a four-year, $117 million contract deal with the Knicks, securing his future with the team. Randle enjoyed a breakout year last season, averaging 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 6.0 assists, earning him his first NBA All-Star berth for the Knicks.
Randle led the Knicks to a playoff berth by himself. The forward was awarded the NBA’s Most Improved Player and was selected to the All-NBA third team for his individual achievements.
They also received a bargain when Kemba Walker was purchased out of the Oklahoma City Thunder and signed with the Knicks for a cheaper price. Walker will be looking to rebound for his hometown club after a difficult time with the Boston Celtics.
Despite these excellent “value for money” agreements, the Knicks made one major error this summer, which was spending a significant amount of money on free agents like as Evan Fournier, Derrick Rose, Alec Burks, and Nerlens Noel.
Fournier signed a four-year, $78 million contract, which is a lot of money for a player who has averaged 14.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in his career. For a non-All-Star who will be a secondary or tertiary scorer, that’s a big issue.
Nerlens Noel re-signed for three more years at a salary of $32 million, a sizable sum for a center who will be playing behind Mitchell Robinson. Don’t get me wrong, Noel contributed significantly to the Knicks’ interior defense, but Robinson is their star of the future, and he seems to be in good condition. The Knicks might have acquired a cheaper player who could match Noel’s output.
Alec Burks was also given a three-year, $30 million contract extension. Burks is also a valuable contributor IF he stays healthy, which is a huge if considering his health issues throughout his career.
Finally, a three-year, $43 million contract extension for Derrick Rose. That’s almost $14 million per year for a player who, like Burks, has had health issues in recent years. Last season, the Knicks were turned into a much stronger team after acquiring Rose, who assisted Randle with his scoring and playmaking abilities.
Is he, though, really worth that much? Every season, the soon-to-be 33-year-old sixth man misses considerable time, and New York could have spent that money on Lonzo Ball, who earns almost $20 million for the Chicago Bulls.
Ball, who is just 23, would have been a far better match for their youthful core’s timetable as they prepare to contend now and in the future. Lonzo would have been an excellent match with RJ Barrett and Julius Randle since he won’t take away touches and can play off the ball.
He would have been a good fit for the Knicks since he is a lockdown defender, something coach Tom Thibodeau prefers. Lonzo is a large point guard with a 6’6″ body who can defend opposing guards and occasionally wings.
Related Tags
This article broadly covered the following related topics:
- nba new york knicks
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- free agent centers 2021
- when did free agency start in the nhl
- restricted free agent qualifying offers
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