Even if the New York Knicks were flush with cap space to go after a big-time free agent this offseason, they shouldn’t. Big contracts are the last thing they need.
The New York Knicks have June 29 circled on their calendar. That’s the day that both Enes Kanter and Kyle O’Quinn will have big decisions to make. The domino effect from those decisions will have major implications for the Knicks salary cap going forward.
O’Quinn will decide whether he opts-in to a player option worth $4,256,250, while Kanter’s player option is for $18,622,514. In total, if both players opt-out, the Knicks may have over $22 million to spend.
Even if those dominoes fall into place, the Knicks should put their collective feet on the brakes. If the Knicks genuinely want to be set up for the long haul, they need to exercise caution and stay away from big contracts.
Another reason this mindset is preferred is that Kristaps Porzingis will most likely miss a significant portion of the 2018-19 season.
With KP out, there is no reason to clog the salary cap with any big contracts. Until Porzingis is back and you can clearly evaluate how any newly signed players mesh with the unicorn on the court, it just doesn’t make sense to spend big.
That doesn’t mean the Knicks should stay away from free agency completely. There are a number of role players available, guys who won’t break the bank and could make the team better in both the short-and-long term.
Kevon Looney
Kevon Looney has hit somewhat of an NBA jackpot. Drafted to the best team in the league in 2015, he already has one NBA championship under his belt.
He’s improved every year that he’s been in the league, posting career highs in minutes played (13.8), points (4.0), and rebounds (3.3) in 2017-18.
Looney fits general manager Scott Perry‘s idea of a long, versatile forward that can switch on pick-and-rolls. He may even draw some comparisons to JaMychal Green, a player that developed well under new head coach David Fizdale in Memphis.
Back in March, NBC Sports’ Monte Poole wrote about Looney’s development and production for a Warriors team hit with injuries this year.
Looney matters because he’s comfortable and effective in the team’s switching defense. He matters he feels the game with his mind. And because he gotten comfortable with his shot, casually sinking midrange jumpers and, on Tuesday, draining his only 3-pointer, launching from the right wing.
Looney shot 50 percent from the field on catch-and-shoot two-point field goals and shot 61.5 percent in two-point field goals after taking at least three-to-six dribbles. Although the sample size is small, Looney has shown that he can improve and get minutes on a team with All-NBA talent at multiple positions.
On the downside, the negatives with Looney are certainly there. Looney is not going blow you away with athleticism any time soon. Additionally, he is a poor free-throw shooter, hitting just 54 percent of his shots from the stripe.
Looney also can’t shoot from the three-point line so teams will go under the screens, making his ability stretch the court almost non-existent.
Finally, Looney only played in five games during his rookie year after recovering from hip surgery. He’s been relatively healthy since then, but most general managers will have reason to pause when considering free-agents with injuries to the lower half of their bodies.
Seth Curry
What an absolute gift and a curse it is to be Stephen Curry‘s younger brother. Despite the wild expectations attached to the Curry name, prior to this season, Seth was on the rise.
During the 2016-17 season, Curry played in 70 games, averaged 12.9 points per game and shot over 42 percent from three-point range, flourishing in his role as a starter with the Dallas Mavericks.
Yet Curry did not play a game during the 2017-18 season as a stress fracture in his lower left leg led to season-ending surgery.
The Mavericks had high hopes for a backcourt tandem of Dennis Smith Jr. and Curry prior to the beginning of this season. However, despite his injury, the Mavericks are still high on the former Duke prospect, according to Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.
Owner Mark Cuban and president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson both said that the surgery won’t have an impact on Curry’s future with the team. “We would still love to bring him back,” Cuban said.
If Courtney Lee is eventually traded, the Knicks will need another shooter adept at coming off screens and curl plays from the baseline. Curry can absolutely handle that role. He continues to work on this skill.
In fact, prior to the 2016-17 season, the idea of playing in Rick Carlisle’s offensive system, which included a lot of off the ball movement, was something that interested Curry quite a bit, as Sports Illustrated‘s Rob Mahoney pointed out.
“Curry noted that in his free–agent meeting with the Mavs, Rick Carlisle walked him through the kinds of shots he can expect as well as some of the new wrinkles being built into the offense—particular flare sets, varying angles on ball screens—that could work specifically to Curry’s advantage.”
Fortunately for the Knicks, coming off a season-ending injury may mean that Curry can be signed on a cheaper contract. He could be a player that can fill a much-needed scoring role off the bench if Michael Beasley signs with another team and if Lee is traded.
Josh Huestis
Perry has made no secret that he is looking for athletic, young, versatile wings that can guard multiple positions. Look no further than Oklahoma City guard Josh Huestis.
The Thunder declined his team option for the 2018-19 season, making the 6-foot-7 guard an unrestricted free-agent.
Drafted late in the second round in 2014, Huestis was tabbed as the first domestic “draft and stash” player, who agreed to play his entire rookie year in the G-league.
Huestis told Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman:
“I think it was the best decision that I could make in terms of my own career. I think having an opportunity to play in the D-League for a year has really taught me a lot and has prepared me to move forward in my career. And I think if I had to make the decision again I would make the exact same one.”
Going into the 2017-18 season, Huestis had played only a whopping seven NBA games in two seasons.
Huestis played 69 games this past season. Per NBAstats.com, the fourth-year man out of Stanford finished the season third on the team in defensive rating (102.6), out of players that played at least 30 games.
Huestis also had a defensive field goal percentage of 40.5 percent. Just in case you’re wondering, on the Knicks, Huestis would have ranked second on the team, behind Lance Thomas (40.4).
Even head coach Billy Donovan had praise for Huestis, despite some inconsistencies with his play in the rotation, per Erik Horne of the Oklahoman.
“He’s a really good defender when he’s in (one-on-one) situations because of his length, his size, he’s got good feet, but areas where he can get better where he’s in a pick-and-roll and having to defend the ball handler … that’s a little bit new to him and he’s having to deal with that a little bit more.
Overall, Huestis has the potential to add serious defensive talent to a backcourt that may also include Frank Ntilikina. Huestis will have to improve his shooting, but his youth, work ethic, and physical talents present an opportunity that the Knicks may not be able to pass up.
The Knicks have a lot of work to do between now and the start of next season. Fans are hoping the team of team president Steve Mills and Perry will keep their promise not to skip steps and build the team at a gradual pace, rather than settling for shortcuts.
Players like Looney, Curry, and Huestis will not stand out on the stat sheet, yet they may offer some productive free-agent options at an affordable price. The Knicks will most likely struggle for wins next season and must keep youth, player development, and cap flexibility at the forefront of all their decisions from here on out.