If there is one team that could draw a lot of attention to itself, it’s the New York Knicks. The Knicks may have not made many moves during the offseason, but they definitely made plenty of noise. Due to phil jackson’s head-scratching ideas, the Knicks were in the middle of offseason drama. Jackson apparently wanted to trade Kristaps Porzingis and was eventually relieved of his duties as a result.
Ron Baker returns
Even after firing Jackson, it’s not like the Knicks made huge splashes. Their very first offseason move was to re-sign backup point guard Ron Baker to a two-year, $8.9 million deal.
Baker was a solid backup to Derrick Rose, but the Knicks prioritized him as if he was the most important piece.
The Hardaway Jr. signing and others
And it didn’t stop there. After re-signing Baker, the Knicks made the groundbreaking move of signing Tim Hardaway Jr. to an astonishing four-year, $71 million deal. While Hardaway Jr. has proven to be a lethal scorer, he is not consistent enough to earn nearly $18 million annually for the next four years. The Knicks had Hardaway Jr. once, but they traded him for a first-round pick, which turned out to be Jerian Grant, who was also later traded. Two years later, they brought back Hardaway Jr. for a steep price.
The Knicks most recently made a couple of minor signings to fill out the roster.
Ramon Sessions was signed to a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal, but the question is what his role on the team will be. The Knicks already paid Baker a ton of money to become the backup, but Sessions has been a key reserve for most of his career and could certainly outplay Baker.
The Knicks also signed undrafted rookie Luke Kornet after unexpectedly waiving Marshall Plumlee.
Kornet will serve as the third center off the bench.
The 2017 NBA draft
The Knicks also made a mind-boggling move during the 2017 Nba Draft by passing up on Dennis Smith Jr. and selecting Frank Ntilikina instead. Many thought that the Knicks were going to take Smith Jr. because of the talent and upside he has, but they have put their trust in Ntilikina.
With the 44th overall pick, the Knicks selected Damyean Dotson, who has since been signed.
The Knicks continue to make terrible mistakes and may not be done with the offseason just yet. They still have to find a new home for Carmelo Anthony, who has a no-trade clause and has been pushing a trade to the Houston Rockets. Even though Phil Jackson is gone, New York’s poor decision-making is not.
Roster outlook
- PG: Frank Ntilikina/Ramon Sessions/Ron Baker/Chasson Randle
- SG: Courtney Lee/Tim Hardaway Jr./Damyean Dotson
- SF: Carmelo Anthony/Lance Thomas/Mindaugas Kuzminskas
- PF: Kristaps Porzingis/Kyle O’Quinn
- C: Joakim Noah/Willy Hernangomez/Luke Kornet
- Coach: Jeff Hornacek
Offseason Grade: D
