The New York Knicks have been linked to pending free agent Mike Conley. In order to sign him, it’s going to take some serious cash.
The New York Knicks are gearing up for the biggest period of free agency in franchise history. With an aging Carmelo Anthony, a promising Kristaps Porzingis, a healthily paid Arron Afflalo, Jose Calderon, and Robin Lopez, and no picks in the 2016 NBA Draft, New York needs to make a major signing.
The player most commonly singled out as a realistic target is current Memphis Grizzlies point guard and pending unrestricted free agent Mike Conley.
Conley has carved out a reputation as one of the most underrated players in the NBA. Despite consistently going toe-to-toe with the league’s elite in the playoffs, he’s never made an All-Star Game and is rarely mentioned in discussions about the best point guards in the Association.
According to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN New York, Conley’s former head coach, Lionel Hollins, believes Conley wants to get paid.
"“I don’t know if Michael looks elsewhere but that might end up being the best move,” Hollins said recently on SiriusXM radio. “Mike is at that crossroads where he’s [28] years old. He’s coming up on a contract year.”“He wants to get paid,” added Hollins, who coached Conley as a head coach for four-plus seasons. “Will Memphis pay him as much as somebody else? If he can get to a situation that has a future of winning or is he going to go to a team that doesn’t have a future of winning? That’s probably going to be important to him as well.”"
The question is, does a maxed-out Conley appeal to New York’s needs and desires?
The rising salary cap is attractive, but New York is already paying Carmelo Anthony an average of $24,812,936 per season. It’s also shelling out just under $14 million per season to center Robin Lopez and will owe Arron Afflalo $8 million should he accept his player option for 2016-17.
Adding a maxed out Conley would run the Knicks $25 million per season with an annual raises of 4.5 percent.
Conley is a very good player who should have at least one All-Star Game appearance on his resume. He’s a proven postseason performer, a true two-way player, and one of the more feared clutch shooters in the modern NBA.
True as that all may be, the jury is still out on whether or not Conley deserves a max contract.
Conley should benefit from a 2016 class of free agents that’s relatively underwhelming. Beyond Kevin Durant, there aren’t exactly a surplus of available household names—something that could push Conley’s price tag through the roof.
Per Youngmisuk, Hollins believes that Conley’s free agency determination will come down to whether or not Memphis is willing to match the offers made by other teams.
"“It comes down to, this is your life,” Hollins said. “This is your opportunity. You have the hammer in your hand and you have to wield it because you may never get it again. The reality is you have to do what’s best for your family and the future.“And if somebody comes around and offers Michael $18 million and Memphis can’t match, I think you have to make those decisions from that perspective.”"
$18 million per season sounds much better than the max contract of $25 million per year that Conley is eligible to receive.
It’s already been established that the Knicks will pursue Conley during the 2016 period of NBA free agency. Conley is open to signing with New York, which makes this potential union one that’s not necessarily expected, but viewed as a legitimate possibility.
The question is, can the Knicks realistically afford to pay Conley’s salary? Or will he fall out of Phil Jackson‘s budget?
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If Conley can be had for a manageable price, expect New York to make a serious run at the 28-year-old.