The NY Knicks are coming into the offseason looking to chase free agents and players like Kevin Love, Rajon Rondo, Greg Monroe and Goran Dragic on the market and while the team may not end up getting any of those names, they will go hard after the top options and they also could look at re-signing Andrea Bargnani and a trade with Jose Calderon.
The Knicks are hoping they can woo at least one major free agent on the market, with Rondo and Dragic being the main targets. The Lakers, Miami Heat and Houston Rockets all could be in the mix for both Rondo and Dragic, while Kevin Love may not hit the market at all if he doesn't opt out of his deal. The Lakers and Knicks both want Love and hoped to target him when he opted out of his Timberwolves deal this summer, but the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired him before that could be possible.
The Knicks may look at a Jose Calderon trade again down the line after shopping him this season, but his contract makes it tough for him to get moved. According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, the Knicks may consider re-signing Andrea Bargnani to a deal in the offseason, as he has shaped up down the stretch. Bargnani has been a mess since getting acquired in a trade, but he will be off his five-year, $50 million contract and if he comes in cheap, he could be a solid option.
According to Pro Basketball Talk, Ian Begley at ESPN writes that the team would consider trading their first round pick this year depending on where they end up in the lottery. The Knicks are the worst team in the NBA right now and they hope to finish that way, as they would get the best chance to win the lottery. Phil Jackson has been scouting players hard and the Knicks have been in Kentucky looking at Karl-Anthony Towns and they have also scouted Jahlil Okafor.
Brian Windhorst at ESPN.com said that the team could consider moving the pick if they are out of the top two, as they could try and get a strong player in return. The team is expected to have over $20 million in cap space this offseason and they will chase the top free agents on the market like Rondo and Greg Monroe. The Celtics will be a factor as well and the team reportedly will chase free agents this offseason.
NESN.com reports that the Celtics will go after Kevin Love hard if he makes it to the free agent market, while Monroe is also considered to be a target. The Celtics will have a ton of cap money along with the Lakers and the Knicks and that adds pressure for all three teams as they try and sign free agents this summer.
Jackson has said that the Knicks could be pen to trading their first round pick if it's not in the top three, as he said that free agency is the priority to build the team. Jackson stripped the team of bad contracts and now they are hoping to add one or two major free agents to the mix for the Knicks.