New York Knicks: 3 non All-Stars to target in free agency

3. Fred VanVleet

Let’s begin Fred VanVleet‘s mention by saying that the chances of him leaving the Toronto Raptors are not that high. As a result, teams looking for a starting point guard should not heavily rely on him in the upcoming offseason.

Regardless of that, VanVleet has the quality to start on any team in the NBA, an ability that is currently on display as he is a full-time starter for the holding NBA Champions. If it weren’t for Freddie, the Raptors might’ve even failed to make it to the NBA Finals in the first place.

It is incredibly rare seeing an otherwise role player impact an NBA postseason as much as Fred VanVleet did in 2019. He completed an incredible U-turn during their series against the Milwaukee Bucks, right after his son was born.

As a result, he pedaled the Raptors towards the finals, and, ultimately, towards the long-wanted Larry O’Brien trophy.

His remarkable impact on the entire postseason earned him a starter’s job for the season that followed, which he carried out very successfully. In the 48 games he appeared in before the season was cut short, VanVleet averaged 17.6 points and 6.6 assists per game.

Frederick has clearly made his mark and is one of the front-runners for the Most Improved Player award, once the season is all wrapped up. As a result, his performances have started to attract some interest around the league.

A guy like VanVleet would be perfect for the New York Knicks. He’s young enough to fit the franchise’s goals of rebuilding, but experienced enough to bring something new to the table. He is a proven winner and clutch player, and, most importantly, a point guard.

The point guard spot has been a huge gap for the Knicks since…well, forever. VanVleet is by no means a superstar-caliber player and will not lead this team to the promise land all by himself. But he is a non-max contract type of guy that would be useful to any team.