5 free agents the New York Knicks should target in the 2021 NBA offseason
After a hugely successful season, the New York Knicks will be looking to make improvements to their roster in the free agency market this summer.
Leon Rose and the rest of the Knicks front office have a lot of cap space to work with and will be able to build on the impressive strides Tom Thibodeau made with the side this year.
Although they finished 4th in the Eastern Conference standings, the New York Knicks' flaws and lack of playoff experience were laid bare in their 4-1 series loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
Nevertheless, they have an exciting offseason ahead of them with potentially $50m available in cap space, depending on how they handle the free agents they have on their roster.
It is the free agents of other teams we will be focusing on in this article, however, as we look at five potential targets on the market whom the Knicks should approach in the 2021 NBA offseason.
5 Free Agents who would help to continue the New York Knicks' rise
It is an exciting time to be a New York Knicks fan. The franchise has a winning team to cheer for and packed out MSG to welcome Atlanta on their return to the playoffs.
Although their regular-season success wasn't enough to see them progress past the Hawks, Thibodeau has helped put the Knicks back on the NBA map. They are an attractive landing spot once again and can attract some huge stars from across the league because of the stature the organization holds.
Let's take a look at five free agents who can help the Knicks continue their rise up the Eastern Conference.
#1 Lonzo Ball
Much of the New York Knicks' focus in the free agency market will be on the backcourt options available. There is a plethora of guards who the Knicks could target, but they may want to chase one who won't take up the majority of their cap space available.
That is where Lonzo Ball comes in as a cheaper option who also has a high ceiling for potential improvements. The 23-year-old has already improved his game this year, registering career-high numbers in all shooting metrics.
Ball fits in well with the New York Knicks' current system as a two-way guard who doesn't need to have the ball to be effective. He has developed his offensive creativity but is equally capable of registering high-scoring games while playing defensively, which he would need to do with the Knicks if they were to sign another star alongside Randle.
#2 Kelly Oubre Jr.
In addition to their issues in the backcourt, the New York Knicks desperately need scoring support from the wing. They struggled offensively during the campaign and scored less than 100 points in three games against the Atlanta Hawks in the playoffs.
We recently reported on the rumors linking Kelly Oubre Jr. with the Knicks and he will certainly be one of their key targets this summer.
Although the 25-year-old had an up-and-down campaign with the Warriors, fans caught glimpses of his effectiveness in February when Oubre took on a more important role on the frontcourt with James Wiseman sidelined.
The New York Knicks could see Oubre Jr. as a rough diamond whom they could bring in now on a team-friendly deal and help to develop. He averaged over 15 points and 6 rebounds per game this year while shooting at 44% from the field. He is also an athletic rim protector, grabbing a steal and 0.8 blocks per contest.