The New York Knicks are entering a very important offseason for the franchise, as the team had one of its best seasons in years after making it to the second round of the playoffs and winning the division and with free agency coming the roster could use some upgrades at various spots.
The team has its own important free agents to worry about in Chris Copeland and JR Smith, but their attention likely will be on other players, as the team needs a better supporting cast to defeat the Miami Heat in the playoffs in the Eastern conference. The Pacers depth was too much to handle and with other teams coming up behind them, the Knicks need to improve quickly to get the championship they so desire with Carmelo Anthony.
The team has questions with Amare Stoudemire and while his contract will hamstring them, they have some financial moves to make with the mid-level exception and their draft pick at number 24 in the first round. The team needs to be smart in free agency and while it isn't always that pragmatic, the financial situation may call for that. Some of the names the team could go for includes Nate Robinson, Matt Barnes, Dejuan Blair as well as A.J. Price and Sebastian Telfair.
Robinson is an interesting option since he once played for the Knicks and the way he played for the Bulls in the playoffs while coming in for injured stars Derrick Rose and Kirk Hinrich could net him a new gig elsewhere, including with the team that drafted him. He averaged over 16 points in the playoffs and was electric at times and that could be an attractive option for the team. Robinson proved that he can be a reliable player and with Jason Kidd retiring, the team needs another guard at that spot. Other cheap options could be Will Bynum, A.J. Price and Sebastian Telfair.
Matt Barnes offers the Knicks another interesting option after he played for the team years ago, as the Clippers star has been essential on some championship teams and proved this season he can be a great supporter on offense and defense. Depending on who the Clippers decide to hire, Barnes could be on his way out of LA after Chris Paul recruited him there. Anthony needs more support and he could be a piece they go after.