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

1. DeMarcus Cousins

And here it is. The biggest question mark that is being tossed around the league. Similarly to many greats like Tracy McGrady and Brandon Roy, we never got to see the best of DeMarcus Cousins due to a series of devastating injuries right as he was entering his prime.

Boogie was once averaging 26.9 points and 11.5 rebounds per game while being able to score from almost every spot on the court. All that, at the age of 25.

Then, injuries struck him and the result was an All-Star being signed to 1-year minimum contracts and then waived from the team. It is incredibly devastating to be deprived of a possible Hall-of-Famer for medical reasons.

Consequently, one might wonder, “Why would the Knicks get themselves into a situation like this?”. Well, quite honestly, Cousins might be perfect for the Knicks and the Knicks might be perfect for Cousins.

For starters, DeMarcus would not expect a large contract whatsoever, leaving tons of financial flexibility to bring other stars to New York. Secondly, it would be a low-risk/high-reward type of deal. Should Cousins get, knock on wood,  injured again, the team continues the rebuild as if never happened.

But what if Cousins, who is still just 28, manages to return to his previous form? The result would be a clear-cut superstar that could sign for the veteran’s minimum. Throw a couple of good role players to the mix and you have yourself a playoff team.

Last season, while he was still recovering with the Golden State Warriors, Cousins showed that he is still better than the majority of the players in the league. In fact, last season’s Per 36 numbers were incredibly close to his All-Star days a few years ago.

Should the Knicks and Cousins agree to a deal, a top-20 NBA player will be headed to New York. Whether his old body will follow, is an entirely different and unknown equation.