New York Knicks Free Agency Options: Post Players

With Carmelo Anthony entrenched at the small forward position for the immediate future, the Knicks are entering free agency with two openings in their front court. After last offseason’s Tyson Chandler trade, the 2014-15 NBA season resulted in some hilariously bad front court play in Madison Square Garden The hodgepodge of Jason Smith, Cole Aldrich, Quincy Acy, Lou Amundson and Lance Thomas – the last two I would like to see return to the Knicks – resulted in some pretty terrible basketball, then Andrea Bargnani played 22 games. It was a mess, to say the least.

Now, the Knicks have a relatively open checkbook – close to $28 million in cap space – to acquire post players who are both good and fit Jackson/Fisher’s offense. The aim should be to get one big man who help cover and defend pick and rolls on the perimeter while the other being a player who can protect the rim and finish around the basket. In Jackson’s short tenure, the Knicks have been tied to in Pau Gasol last season and Greg Monroe for most of this year, so that type of player seems to be something they’ve been interested in.

Let’s talk about some interesting post options for the New York Knicks, starting with players already attached to the Knicks. For the sake of the argument, let’s eliminate LaMarcus Aldridge, Paul Millsap, Marc Gasol and Draymond Green, as all four seem to be either returning to their current team or going somewhere other than the Knicks.

Current rumored targets

David West — I’m not that low on the rumored affair between the Knicks and West. I like what the move means. West is on the final acts of his career, but I like the fact that he could be a option that can both play over and next to Kristaps Porzingis. He’s a well-known commodity from mid-range, below-average rebounder, solid defender and good passer. If the Knicks can simply do the right thing here – offer West a two-year deal that doesn’t cripple your chances of landing a decent wing and rim protector, I’m fine with him as a two-year stop gap, allowing Porzingis to grow into his own.

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Greg Monroe — No. No. No? Maybe? I’ve been big on the anti-Monroe train. He’s a fine basketball player – smart offensively, capable of moving the ball well on offense, he had success as a low-post option in Detroit and he’s pretty young, just 24 years old. However, he’s a bad defender and a lackluster athlete. His block percentage – not saying this is an ideal way of judging a post player – has never cracked 2.0 in his career and he’s not a rim protector, allowing 52 percent shooting last season. His defensive woes, combined with his projected price tag (max contract) makes him a no-go for me. Some see him as a nice future option with Porzingis, but I’m just not a fan.

DeAndre Jordan — Number two option aside, Jordan is probably the second best player on the market with the possibility of switching teams. Good defender, good screener and unstoppable on pick and rolls. At 26 years old, you can see him taking a step forward, too. Only issue? I just don’t see why Jordan would choose New York over any other team. Dallas and both Los Angeles franchises have more to offer. If Jordan lands in New York, it’s a good piece to start the selling point for another star in 2016, but I doubt he lands in Gotham.

Realistic Options

Robin Lopez — Robin Lopez gives the Knicks that defensive stalwart that can man the back of a defense. He’s a great offensive rebounder, rim protector and even after two seasons that saw him pack on a ton of minutes, Lopez is still under 10,000 minutes for his career. He’s good around the rim offensively, but don’t ask to extend his game out 10 feet. If David West is in the bag, Lopez makes sense as a nice compliment in the front court.

Kosta Koufos– My favorite free agent big man of the bunch. I’m all in on Koufos as a Knick this offseason. Solid rim protection numbers, understated as an offensive player and he’ll come in cheaper than both Jordan and Lopez. The two things that intrigue me the most with Koufos: He’s a young player (26) with little tread on the tires (6,477 minutes played) and he allowed just 46.9 percent shooting at the rim, per Nylon Calclus’ Seth Partnow’s metrics. Koufos, for somewhere around eight million, is someone that could be a steal the same way Demarre Carroll was for Atlanta two years ago, especially with the cap rising over the next two seasons.

Kyle O’Quinn– He won’t get as much love as the top three, but O’Quinn would be a great addition to the Knicks. He does a bit of everything. He can score the ball at the rim and from the mid-range, he can rebound on both sides of the floor and he can pass out of the post. Nothing special, but flashed solid rim protection numbers and whenever I got to see him, he was active defensively. I’m fascinated by O’Quinn’s free agency, largely because Orlando has Chaning Frye and Aaron Gordon on the roster, Tobias Harris reaching free agency and Nikola Vucevic’s extension kicking in. Probably won’t be a Knick, but will get a ton of interest to be someone’s Amir Johnson.

Brandan Wright– Someone will autocorrect financially on Wright and I wouldn’t mind if it that team was New York. Wright is an efficient offensive player, who turned himself into a good defensively. As someone who never got truly paid in his career, Wright, on a nice pay bump, would give the Knicks another efficient player next to Carmelo Anthony who doesn’t need the ball to be effective. Still, I think a rim protecter is still a need next to him.

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Other guys

Lavoy Allen — I’m on the big Lavoy Allen bandwagon. Good offensive rebounder, decent mid-range shooter and has been apart of two solid defensive teams in his career. Could be in place for a couple good seasons moving forward and hasn’t been paid in his career yet. A fine reserve big man, who can play both power forward and center.

Joel Freeland — Not a sleeper or a gem, I just think he’s could be a decent backup center for the Knicks.

Darrell Arthur — Never terrible, never fantastic. I like Arthur’s game, trailing back to his days at Kansas when they upset Joakim Noah and Florida as a freshman. He can pass, he can space the floor and shoot from mid-range. Defensively, Arthur has the foot speed to hang around the perimeter, making him a perfect compliment for Carmelo Anthony in the front court. He shouldn’t cost more than five million a season, placing him in a nice range for New York.

Pero Antic — He’s most likely heading back overseas, but you can do a lot worse than Antic in the back of a rotation. Decent defender and can space the floor.

Jeff Withey — I’m bullish on Withey, who was eventually buried behind New Orleans’ talented front court. He isn’t a great offensive player, but he can move on defense and block shots. Just 25 years old and on the fringe, I would take a flyer on Withey, hoping he can further develop into a solid backup center, just like they did with Cole Aldrich.

The Knicks have a ton of options around the basket. With 2014 first round pick Kristaps Porzingis in tow, that at least gives you an option who has to play, whether he’ll be good as a rookie remains to be seen Assuming David West is a Knick, New York will have to turn their efforts towards a rim protector, where several options, at various prices, are looming. If West goes elsewhere, the Knicks will be shopping for one good option and one fine option. Thanks to the options out there, the Knicks could walk away with two solid front court options.

Next: New York Knicks Free Agency Options: Wing Players

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