New York Knicks: 3 players that could earn a big payday in the playoffs
By Dalton Sell
After several long years of agony, the New York Knicks are finally headed back to the postseason after officially clinching a playoff berth.
It will be the first time the Knicks have been in the playoffs since the 2012-13 season, ending one of the lengthiest droughts in the entire association. With a 41-31 record, the fourth-seeded Knicks will officially square off against the fifth-seeded Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
No matter how far this team makes it in these playoffs, there are unquestionably happy to be back on the biggest stage, let alone have home-court advantage in the illustrious Madison Square Garden.
This could be the start of something special brewing in New York, but the team will have some decisions to make regarding their roster once the season eventually comes to an end.
With the Knicks set to have plenty of spending money in free agency, here are three players that could earn themselves a raise in the postseason.
Reggie Bullock could earn a payday in the playoffs with the New York Knicks
Reggie Bullock has been the perfect role player for the Knicks this season as he is playing some of the best basketball of his career.
The 30-year-old has been a seamless fit in the starting lineup this season by averaging 10.9 points on a .442/.410/.909 slash line, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. The sharpshooting that Bullock has provided for the Knicks has been dynamic, as he knocked in a career-best 2.5 triples per game on 6.1 attempts per game this season.
Sweet shooting like that is undoubtedly something teams will have their eye on as Bullock is set to enter free agency once this season concludes. According to the New York Post’s Marc Berman, it seems that both Bullock and the Knicks have some potential mutual desire to get a long-term deal done, and the financial specifics could help them in that regard:
"“The Knicks will hold Bullock’s Early Bird rights this summer when he’s a free agent, which is huge. That means the Knicks can fill in their $60 million of cap space and go over the cap if they choose to re-sign Bullock to a four-year deal. To keep his rights, the Knicks would only have to use a $5 million cap hold. League sources believe Bullock’s market value has risen to a full mid-level exception offer of $9.25 million, but there are about five teams that will be under the cap who can offer more.”"
Opposing teams would be willing to pay up to get a shooter of Bullock’s caliber, but all signs point to the Knicks doing what it takes to keep him around for the long haul. Although he already seems destined for a raise, a strong showing in these playoffs could unquestionably heighten his potential value across the league after a great regular season.