Even after a successful season, which included 50 wins and a second-round playoff appearance, the The New York Knicks Needs updates.
Before the February trade deadline, they looked for a player to help them with their most glaring flaw: the offense collapsed when Jalen Brunson I was on the bench. They never solved those problems. Today the mission continues.
The Knicks could use someone to stabilize the bench attack, but offseason drama could create other holes as well. The biggest tool the team has at its disposal, the one it could use to address any of these most pressing issues, is the mid-level exception, which it can use to sign a free agent or trade for a contracted player.
Yeah Isaiah Hartenstein leaves, the Knicks will need another center, either to play back or start over michel robinson. They could use the mid-level exception to acquire one. If they make another trade that causes them to lose too many wings, they could use the mid-level exception to rebalance the roster.
The Knicks could have access to any of the mid-level exceptions, depending on how this summer goes.
If they stay under the first apron, would receive the mid-level exception for non-taxpayers, which is projected to be worth $12.9 million in salary for 2024-25. If they are forced to get past the first apron or want to leave the possibility of doing so on the table, they could use the taxpayer’s mid-level exception, which is projected to be worth $5.2 million in salaries by 2024-25.
Releasing Bojan Bogdanović Instead of paying his $19 million salary for 2024-25, it would free up money to use the mid-level exception for non-taxpayers. The same thing happens if Hartenstein walks. If the Knicks bring both back, in addition to signing And Anunoby In addition to an expensive new contract, a larger payroll may force them to stay at the mini-mid level.
Here are 10 players the Knicks could consider signing with their mid-level exception:
Jones fits right in.
He could run the offense when Brunson is off the court. In 50 games after the exchange RJ Barrett and Emmanuel Quickley, two pillars of the Knicks’ second unit, the offense was 20.3 points per 100 possessions worse while Brunson was on the bench. They need someone who can run a respectable pick-and-roll and create decent looks. Jones can do both.
He’s the league’s top turnover guard, could play alongside Brunson in the right lineups, is coming off his best season and would know what to expect from Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau, for whom he played. Minnesota Wolves. But Jones may also be too expensive.
It already does more than the mid-level exception. Meanwhile, the Wizards decided not to trade him before the deadline, meaning there will likely be pressure to re-sign him. Washington does not want to lose the player for anything, he can pay to keep him and today he is not trying to win. His free agency may be similar to Kyle KuzmaIt’s from last summer, when Kuzma returned to DC with a hefty but downward contract.
A team with space and in need of a point guard like him orlando magic either San Antonio SpursIt could also boost your market.
Jones doesn’t fill a current need, but if the Knicks make a trade that leaves them craving another forward, the 27-year-old could click.
He is part of the team most responsible for the turnaround of the Dallas defense in the middle of the season. Jones will defend the wings or big men. He The Chicago Bulls They once deployed him as their backup center. Meanwhile, its activity around Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving has helped offset an inconsistent jump shot.
But the Mavs might be too successful to let him go. Dallas is in the NBA Finals for a reason. Chances are he won’t let one of his starting wings go elsewhere without a fight.
As a shooter, O’Neale fits better than Jones. He has shot between 37 and 39 percent of his 3-pointers for six straight seasons and adds physicality on the wing. But as with Jones, it could be difficult to lure him away from his current team.
The Suns are above the second deck, without many of the tools needed to improve a disappointing season that ended in a first-round sweep. They can’t sign free agents to contracts above the minimum, they can’t add players in trades, they can’t negotiate sign-and-trades, they can’t take more money than they give in trades, and they can’t use trade exceptions. If O’Neale goes down for nothing, Phoenix has no way to replace him.
Their best option is to re-sign O’Neale and maintain the ability to trade him for someone else.
The Knicks could pursue him, but if the Suns prioritize bringing back O’Neale, they are the favorites.
Mount Morrispoint guard, Minnesota Timberwolves
Morris started last season hurt and never got into a rhythm. Any team that targets him will hope to have the reliable, everyday guard he became with the Denver Nuggets and later with the Wizards. She is 28 years old and is only one year away from being the epitome of consistency.
Like Jones, Morris is an assist and turnover expert. He has come off the bench for successful teams, can run an offense and could even run alongside Brunson. Because he is coming off a bad season, he also wouldn’t cost as much as Jones would.
kyle andersonwing, Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves could have a hard time re-signing Anderson, a top rotation player but someone who could push their tax bill to unsustainable levels. Minnesota is already projected to fly above the second platform, and Anderson could command an eight-figure salary.
Anderson oozes all over the court, trudging to the basket or rising for 3-pointers with all the speed of a drawbridge. But his mind works quickly. He is a fast-paced player who moves and cuts the ball and understands the team’s defense. If the Knicks want a size wing who can run a pick-and-roll and defend, Anderson could be a target.
They will most likely need the non-taxpayer mid-level to sign it. Anderson can most likely earn more than $5 million in starting salary.
Lowry was on the Knicks roster after a buyout with the charlotte hornets last winter, according to league sources, although he ultimately signed with the 76ers.
Lowry plays an aggressive style that would fit well with New York’s defensive identity, although he can no longer run an offense like he once did. He is 38 years old and one more season will not make him recover, although he will never stop taking charge.
Hayward provided a glimpse of his younger self as he began the season with the Hornets, although he faded come spring when he found himself out of the Thunder’s rotation.
New York also courted Hayward the last time the 34-year-old was a free agent. Thibodeau has always been a big fan of both.
Lowry and Hayward won’t cost anywhere near the mid-level exception, especially since they’ve already earned most of their career earnings. Either of the two could sign for the minimum to provide security off the bench.
If that’s the case, the Knicks could be sold on one of them.
Looney will only be an option if one of the Knicks’ most feared free agency scenarios comes to pass. If Hartenstein seeks a higher offer, especially considering that New York is limited to how much you can pay to the center, then the equipment needs a replacement. Looney could fill the void.
It fits the Knicks vibe. Looney is a top-notch rebounder, one of the fiercest in the world on the glass. He finished tenth in the NBA in offensive rebound rate last season. He has a physical presence and would arrive with championship experience, a member of three of the Warriors’ titles.
Looney may not hit the open market at all. He has a contract for next season. But The AthleticTim Kawakami reported Monday that Golden State could release him to save on his tax bill. Less than half of Looney’s $8 million salary is guaranteed in 2024-25. If the Warriors let him go and the Knicks lose Hartenstein, New York’s backup plan could include Looney.
Valančiūnas cleared the mid-level exception last season, but he also fits the archetype of a player who could be cut to $12.9 million or less in 2024-25. The Pelicans, who were trying to move him before last winter’s deadline, were able to let him walk. The teams with cap space are mostly sub-.500 or young teams and are unlikely to tap into it.
If the Knicks lose Hartenstein, perhaps Valančiūnas will pique their interest.
The center market is not overwhelming, one of the reasons the Knicks have made Hartenstein’s return a priority. There aren’t many viable Plan Bs beyond Looney, Valančiūnas or Bitadze, who altered his game during his second season in Orlando.
Bitadze took over as the starter, becoming a more brutal and defensive presence than ever. He was the embodiment of the Magic personality: you can’t play if you don’t thrive on hitting your opponents. That would translate well for the Knicks.
Of course, Bitadze would represent a step down from Hartenstein, whom the Knicks can offer up to $72.5 million over four years. Bitadze wouldn’t cost the full mid-level exception or anything like that. But his performance this season can guarantee a contract above the minimum, and if the Knicks need a center, he could back up Robinson as well as any other free agent in his price range.
(Jalen Brunson and Tyus Jones photo: Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images)