New York Knicks: 5 potential targets in 2019 NBA free agency
As the 2019 NBA free agency period is set to begin, the New York Knicks could be big-time players and offer max contracts to a few superstar free agents.
After a couple of years of nonstop rumors about the 2019 NBA free agency period, now is the time to shine for the New York Knicks. In just a few days, they will be able to officially approach the cream of the crop in the hopes of bringing at least one of them to New York City.
The basketball Mecca that is New York has gone too long without a superstar. If this wasn’t enough already, the Knicks might be the most heavily criticized team in the NBA.
Free agency could be a make-or-break type of situation for the Knicks this summer. After trading away Kristaps Porzingis in February in a move that would create two max salary slots, the next few days could alter Knicks basketball for the following seasons.
By failing to sign a big-name free agent, the Knicks would waive the white flag for at least a year as they surrendered to their own mistakes as a franchise. But if they were to sign one or more All-Stars, then this would be a rebuild gone exactly right.
More than a few names have been linked with a move to New York in these past few months. Some have sustained the passage of time, while others appear to have faded into the light of the dark, like Klay Thompson, who seemed like a valid option at the beginning of the season.
Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant has declined his $31.5M player option and will become an unrestricted free agent, league sources tell ESPN. Durant and his business manager Rich Kleiman are in New York, evaluating free agency options. So far, process has stayed private.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 26, 2019
With that in mind, let’s analyze the top options the New York Knicks could go after once the 2019 NBA free agency period officially begins.