After being eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals, the New York Knicks are expected to make some tweaks to their current rotation.
Finding high-level contributors on cost-controlled deals is essential. That’s where Al Horford could come in. The championship-winning big man is heading into unrestricted free agency. He would bring a winning mindset and versatility to New York’s rotation.
SNY’s Ian Begley is expecting the Knicks to “at least check in” on the veteran big man.
“I think the Knicks will take a look at the guard market for a bench player,” Begley said on a recent episode of ‘The Putback.’ “Also, ESPN reports that Celtics veteran Al Horford will have a robust market this offseason. I think the Knicks will also at least check in on Horford’s situation in Boston. The Celtics shed salary by trading Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis and they certainly want Horford back, but are limited in what they can offer the veteran big man.”
In recent years, Horford has adapted his game to be heavily perimeter-based. His three-point shooting, playmaking, screening and versatile defense would improve New York’s second unit. He could also slide into the starting rotation next to Karl-Anthony Towns.
Knicks Could Target Luke Kornet
According to Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckely, one potential addition for New York could be Luke Kornet. Like Horford, Kornet is heading into unrestricted free agency this summer.
“Kornet is a 7’2″ shot-blocker who would help the Knicks’ interior defense,” Buckely wrote in his “top free agent targets” article.
The veteran big man has emerged as one of the best backup big men in the NBA. He’s a champion. While he wouldn’t provide floor spacing in the traditional sense, Kornet has developed into an elite non-shooting spacer due to his screening, weakside slot presence and short-roll playmaking.
If the Knicks want to fill the gap left behind by Isaiah Hartenstein, Kornet could be the perfect solution.
Knicks Could Trade Josh Hart
The Knicks could also look to change things up within their current roster. As such, we could see some players head for the exit door during the free agency period. According to Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale, Josh Hart is among the most likely to leave the franchise.
“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 had a strong season for the Knicks. In 77 games, he averaged 13.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 5.9 assists, shooting 52.5% from the field and 33.3% from deep. If New York does make him available on the trade market, he will likely have draw significant interest.
Still, New York is unlikely to make any roster moves until their head coaching situation is resolved. After all, you can’t build for a system that hasn’t begun to be implemented yet.
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