Marc Gasol Rules Out Playing For Knicks, What About the Other Top Big Men Free Agents?
By William Lee
No more daydreaming about Marc Gasol, with a report of Gasol ruling out playing for the New York Knicks. Not that this was much of a surprise to anyone that had realistic expectations, but it was a nice thing to wish for. So with the top big man free agent officially off the board for New York, what is next?
LaMarcus Aldridge
Much like Gasol, most players that the Knicks will be trying to court this summer will be in the same vein. LaMarcus Aldridge is another top unrestricted free agent big, but has been the one constant for the Portland Trail Blazers for nine seasons. It is hard to even imagine that Aldridge is not essentially already locked up, one extra with Portland holding his Bird Rights and a top Western team in a competitive conference, literally no reason to leave.
Kevin Love
Kevin Love is in an interesting scenario, but again it is also hard to imagine Love coming to New York as well. There has been conflicting reports of Love seriously considering opting out to maybe join the Lakers, and then a retraction.
Would Lakers be an option for Kevin Love this summer? Love:"I'm a Cleveland Cavalier." Any scenario where Love would join Lakers? Love: "No"
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) February 9, 2015
Depending on how the Cleveland Cavaliers season ends, Love has a player option, so he may can exercise that and play it out one more year to see how much further they can go with a year of experience playing together under their belt. Either way even if Love opts to leave, it will most likely be for Los Angeles and not New York.
DeAndre Jordan
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DeAndre Jordan has been going bonkers ever since Blake Griffin was sidelined with a staph infection, averaging 14.9 points and 19.2 rebounds in Griffin’s 11 games absence. Jordan grabbed over 20 rebounds in four games during this stretch, highlighted by a 22 points and 27 rebound game against the Dallas Mavericks. With the run Jordan is having, he will have played himself into a max contract. The Los Angeles Clippers are in an interesting situation, they will have to ask themselves this summer do they want to build around three max players in Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan, or possibly use the cap space from Jordan to plug-in their holes on the wing positions.
In a highly unlikely event Jordan hits the market, New York should meet with him immediately at 12:01 on July 1st to show Jordan how much he is wanted and needed by New York. Jordan can fill in the void at center that the departure of Tyson Chandler caused this past off-season. They are both very similar players as well; athletic defensive bigs that can protect the rim, and should only dunk the ball on offense. Again…unlikely…but fingers crossed!
Greg Monroe
The most likely and realistic scenario for New York targeting a top big free agent is probably going to be Greg Monroe. Reportedly being unhappy with his playing time from The Detroit News, Monroe seems like the most likely candidate to leave his current team in this summer. Monroe is averaging 15.7 points and 10.5 rebounds per game this season.
With Gasol already ruling out New York, and the other top big man free agents in all likelihood not even hitting the free agency market, New York will need to pursue Monroe hard come July 1st midnight. Of course this is given that the Knicks did not already draft their big man of the future in the 2015 NBA Draft, which then maybe New York will pursue a top guard in free agency come midnight.