How many power forwards will Knicks sign?
The Knicks appear to be in the market to address their biggest offseason want: more power forwards. The team has interest in signing Marcus Morris, who is reportedly considering the idea of backing out of his two-year agreement with the Spurs for a oneyear, $15 million deal with the Knicks.
That would put New York’s final offseason haul of power forwards at four, and that doesn’t include Kevin Knox, whose NBA future could be at that four spot. Some observers may raise an eyebrow at such roster construction. The Daily News has only one question: What’s the harm?
The Knicks are throwing back to early aughts. Not since the days of Kurt Thomas, Othella Harrington, Mike Sweetney, Vin Baker, Nazr Mohammad et al., has a Knick roster had such glorious, uh, depth at the position.
This all started when the Knicks traded Kristaps Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee to the Mavericks last season. They acquired Wesley Matthews and De’Andre Jordan, two players whose contracts expired to create a grand total of $70 million in cap space to sign free agents. New York intended to use that space on Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, but the star duo opted to sign in Brooklyn instead.
Instead, the Knicks went with Plan B, and loaded up at the four. New York gave Julius Randle a three-year, $63 million deal (with a team option on Year 3), then gave Bobby Portis a two-year deal worth $31 million with a team option on the second year. They then signed New York native Taj Gibson to a two-year deal worth $20 million. Now, it’s possible the Knicks could add a fourth cook to the kitchen and bring in Morris on a oneyear balloon deal.
Scott Perry and Steve Mills are building a competitive, rugged roster, and there is a world where two or three of these players share the floor in any given moment. But the Knox, R.J. Barrett, Mitchell Robinson and Dennis Smith Jr. quartet will need their fair share of minutes to progress this season. From there, they will have to figure out how to slot in Randle, Portis, Gibson, and now possibly Morris.
But those are minor details. Someone get Amar’e on the phone.