The NY Knicks are coming into the back stretch of the season with the top of draft lottery as their expected destination and that means players like D'Angelo Russell, Emmanuel Mudiay, Jahlil Okafor, Karl-Anthony Towns and Kristaps Porzingis could be potential targets and this comes as New York expects to try and sign free agents like Marc Gasol, Greg Monroe, Rajon Rondo or Goran Dragic this summer.
The Knicks have been a mess all season and while they just won over the Spurs in an overtime game, they are still expected to be the worst team in the league. According to ESPN.com, the Knicks have scouted players like D'Angelo Russell, Jahlil Okafor and Karl-Anthony Towns quite a bit this season and those names are likely targets for them in the lottery. Russell is a freshman and so is Okafor and many expect those players to be one and done.
Karl-Anthony Towns is an intriguing player based on his size and he is playing on undefeated Kentucky, meaning he will be in the national spotlight during the NCAA tournament. Russell has been scouted by Phil Jackson and he could be an intriguing option if he comes out after playing at Ohio State. The Knicks are hoping to get Okafor, as he is the presumptive number one pick heading into the end of the season.
The Knicks also are looking to sign free agents and names like Goran Dragic, Rajon Rondo, Greg Monroe, Marc Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge all could be targets. The team may not get some of those players, but they surely will go after them with the money they have. The Lakers and Celtics also have money and are expected to chase some free agents as well.
Rondo is going to be a main target for the Knicks and Lakers and most predict he will end up on one of those teams. The Lakers also plan on going after Dragic hard, but he has a good chance of staying in Miami. The Lakers will reportedly offer Dragic a max deal, but Miami can offer more money and another year on their max deal.
Jackson has scouted Okafor and he also watched Russell, who he called a "great prospect" out of Ohio State. The Knicks could look at him as an option if they miss out on Okafor, while Karl-Anthony Towns is another name that has come up, with Jackson watching him at Kentucky.
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.
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.
