The New York Knicks are entering a very important offseason. They had a disappointing 2021-22 NBA season, as they were unable to replicate the success from the previous season when they earned the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference and pushed their timeline ahead of what they were ready for.
RJ Barrett is eligible for a rookie extension this summer, which will be something that garners a lot of attention. The last first-round pick to sign an extension with the Knicks was Charlie Ward, who was selected in the first round of the 1994 NBA Draft.
New York’s front office also has to figure out what to do with Julius Randle, who had a rough 2021-22 campaign. With some excellent young players on the roster, the Knicks are in a solid position, but they have to hit on their moves this offseason.
Finding a point guard would certainly help bring everything together. They have been on the search for one seemingly since Walt Frazier was leading the offense over 50 years ago. Once they figure that out, they can go on the hunt for specific skill sets to fill out the team with.
Could the San Antonio Spurs possibly present them with a chance to do all of the above? Dejounte Murray is someone that the Knicks would certainly love to have on their roster. He broke out this season, earning an All-Star nod and at 25-years old fits the organization’s timeline.
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In addition to Murray, another player that could pique the interest of the Knicks is Doug McDermott. McDermott was someone that they were reportedly interested in signing last offseason, but he ended up in San Antonio, agreeing to a three-year, $41.2 million contract.
Leon Rose and company have done a great job keeping their books clean, providing flexibility to build the roster. Right now, Randle and Evan Fournier are the only players with guaranteed contracts beyond the 2022-23 season. So, fitting McDermott’s contract into the mix wouldn’t be too difficult.
McDermott would provide the Knicks with another spot-up 3-point shooter, something they could certainly use a little more of. Spacing is key in the NBA and given Tom Thibodeau’s propensity to use a traditional center, it puts more of an emphasis on the other four players on the court to create spacing.
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Doug McDermott is a career 40.9 percent 3-point shooter and would fit in perfectly with the Knicks. He already knows what it is like to play for the organization, spending 51 games in New York at the start of the 2018-19 season before being traded to the Dallas Mavericks.
Finding a spot for him in the starting five could be troublesome as long as Fournier remains around, but he could fill a similar role to him off the bench in the frontcourt. New York finished ninth in the NBA in 3-point makes this season, 10th in attempts and 13th in percentage, but is lacking true knockdown shooters. Three of the team’s five highest volume 3-point shooters all shot below average this past season.
The price to acquire Doug McDermott shouldn’t be very high either. If the Knicks target him singularly, they could get the job done by sending some second-round picks over to San Antonio along with someone such as Kemba Walker, helping the Spurs save some money in the process.
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Expanding the deal to also include Murray would be much more costly, but would fill numerous gaps on the roster. At that point, players such as Quickley, Obi Toppin, Grimes and Cam Reddish could be requested for inclusion for the Spurs. San Antonio would also demand multiple first-round picks in such a deal. Burks and Nerlens Noel could be included from New York’s perspective as well to match salary.
