After losing to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, the New York Knicks will likely look to make some tweaks to their rotation. Small changes will suffice, as the current core can actively compete for a championship.
According to Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckely, one potential addition for New York could be Luke Kornet. The Boston Celtics‘ big man is heading into unrestricted free agency. He’s proven himself to be one of the best non-shooting backup centers in the NBA over the past two years. The 7-foot-2 would help plug the hole that Isaiah Hartenstein’s departure created last summer.
“Kornet is a 7’2″ shot-blocker who would help the Knicks’ interior defense,” Buckely wrote in his “top free agent targets” article.
Luke Kornet spent two seasons with the Knicks at the start of his career. And while he didn’t stick then, he would be returning as a vastly improved player. In fact, there aren’t many better non-shooting big men in the NBA. Of course, Kornet would need to fit into the Knicks system, which means targeting him wouldn’t make sense until a new head coach is leading the charge.
Knicks Open to Trading Mikal Bridges
While Kornet could be a logical addition in free agency, Mikal Bridges could find himself on the trade block this summer.
According to Frank Isola of Sirius XM NBA Radio, a key reason why Bridges has emerged in potential trade talks is due to the fact that he’s eligible for a $156 million contract extension.
“One of the reasons Mikal Bridges’ name has surfaced in trade discussions, according to several team executives,” Isola posted via X. “Mitchell Robinson is another player being discussed.”
Bridges struggled during his debut season with the Knicks. Outside of some fleeting high-level performances, he didn’t live up to the significant price the Knicks paid to pry him away from the Brooklyn Nets. Nevertheless, parting with him this summer would be a mistake. He is still one of the best three-and-d forwards in the NBA when used correctly.
Josh Hart Could Also be Traded
Dan Favale of Bleacher Report believes that Josh Hart would be the most likely makeweight if the Knicks were to make a deal this summer.
“If the New York Knicks are going to do anything substantial this offseason, it will require parting with one of their top six players,” Favale wrote. “Process of elimination narrows it down to Josh Hart or Mitchell Robinson…Hart wins out over Robinson because he’s making $6.5 million more ($19.5 million versus $13 million), but also because he’s less of an anomaly. Nobody else on the roster brings Robinson’s combination of size, interior deterrence, offensive rebounding and (when healthy) mobility.”
Hart is a key member of the Knicks rotation. He’s become one of the true leaders in the locker room. Therefore, it’s unlikely the Knicks include him in trade talks. That is, of course, unless those talks are in regard to a genuine star. Losing Hart would be a significant blow to New York. The front office is unlikely to risk the negative impact unless the upside was undeniably good.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Former NBA Champion Named as Potential Free Agency Target appeared first on Heavy Sports.