The New York Knicks are looking for depth after their most successful season in a quarter century ended in flames in the Eastern Conference Finals.
They are going to address that this offseason with their $5.7 million taxpayer midlevel exception.
Vaulting to the top of their list is Filipino-American guard Jordan Clarkson, who is finalizing a buyout from the rebuilding Utah Jazz to join a contender, per ESPN’s senior NBA insider Shams Charania.
Deseret News’ Sarah Todd added that the Knicks “might be the landing spot” for Clarkson, who was a previous trade target of the Eastern Conference finalist.
Clarkson is a former NBA 6th Man of the Year (2021) and has led the Philippine national team in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, where he averaged 26.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.2 steals in 36 minutes.
Knicks’ Longstanding Interest in Jordan Clarkson
Newsday’s Steve Popper also linked Clarkson to the Knicks after the news of his buyout.
“Knicks certainly wouldn’t be the only team, but he’d certainly be on their radar at a buyout discount — was already someone they’d kicked tires on in trade talks in recent years,” Popper wrote on X.
The Knicks’ interest in Clarkson dates back to the 2024 trade deadline after they acquired OG Anunoby from the Toronto Raptors.
After the Indiana Pacers ran the Knicks to the ground in the conference finals, which led to Tom Thibodeau’s dismissal for failing to develop a reliable bench unit, Clarkson is the type of player who can address that weakness.
The 32-year-old spitfire guard averaged 16.2 points and 3.7 assists off the bench for the Jazz last season. He also shot 36.2% from the 3-point line.
2 Backup Point Guards on Knicks’ Radar
GettyRussell Westbrook blocks a shot by Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks.
Aside from Clarkson, there are two prominent free-agent guards linked to the Knicks.
According to SNY’s Ian Begley, there will be a mutual interest between the Knicks and former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook in free agency.
NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer previously reported that Westbrook is a Knicks target in free agency. However, Begley added that the Knicks are not the only team interested in Westbrook, who played for the minimum veteran deal in Denver last season.
Westbrook, 36, averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals for the Nuggets, splitting his time in the starting unit and bench across 75 games. However, he’s become a polarizing player as he ages because of his poor 3-point shot (32.3%) and turnovers (3.2).
Begley also added another veteran point guard who could be in the mix for the Knicks.
“Tyus Jones is a name that I’m keeping an eye on,” Begley said on SNY’s Honda SportNite. “Last summer, there was mutual interest between the Knicks and Jones. And Jones was even willing to take a pay cut to come to New York. He ended up choosing Phoenix, thinking it would be a very good situation for him. It didn’t work out. So, he’s back on the market. I do think the Knicks will look at the backup guard market in free agency.”
Jones also played for the minimum veteran last season for the Suns, averaging 10.2 points and 5.3 assists while shooting 41.4% from the 3-point line. The 29-year-old Jones is a perennial top-5 player in the assist-turnover ratio. He was fourth last season behind Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton, San Antonio’s Chris Paul and Golden State’s Jimmy Butler, per Statmuse.
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