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Yahoo! Sports
Max Cap Space: $77,477,855
Projected Cap Space: $70,527,253
The rumours around KD and the Knicks have been lingering since before the beginning of the 2018-19 season. Despite his Achilles injury, he’s still at the top of New York’s wishlist. With their crosstown rivals lurking in the wings it’ll be fascinating to see who wins the Durant sweepstakes.
If Kevin Durant were to land at the Knicks you can bet that speculation around Kyrie to New York will reach fever pitch. As the third best player available in this year’s free agency, the Knicks have had their eyes set on Irving for almost as long as Durant. While Kyrie and KD are an awesome pair, there might just be a better point guard partner lurking in Charlotte.
Kemba would more willingly play a backseat to Durant. While Kyrie is more talented, when fitting a roster together, chemistry matters. We’ve seen Irving play second fiddle before with LeBron in Cleveland, would he be willing to do the same again? With Walker, there’s a more readymade cohesion on the court.
When the rumour mill started to swing Durant and Irving to other destinations, the New York media started to narrow their focus on the two-time Finals MVP. Kawhi would be perfect on any team and immediately make them a contender. No one knows what goes on in Kawhi’s mind, but it seems his preferences in free agency lie elsewhere.
After a productive season with the Pelicans, Randle is looking for a hefty payday. With The Undefeated reporting the Knicks have interest in the young big man it seems to be a nice match. Randle’s defensive deficiencies could be covered by budding center Mitchell Robinson. With a wad of cap space available, the New York front office could do worse than throw a fair deal Randle’s way.
Honourable Mentions: Tobias Harris, Nikola Vucevic, DeMarcus Cousins, Markieff Morris, Marcus Morris
The same Undefeated report had the names above linked to the Knicks in free agency. While none of them are the big fish the fanbase is craving, all of those players could add value and improve the organisation. Like with Randle, the key will be how much money Mills and Perry are willing to dish out to the lesser lights in this year’s free agency class.