Assembling The 2016-2017 Knicks Dream Team
By Jemayel Mall
SMALL FORWARDS
Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant, a man who needs no introduction: NBA Rookie of the Year, four-time scoring champion, six-time All-NBA player, seven-time All-Star, former NBA MVP, and Olympic gold medalist. The Knicks signing Durant would not only change the balance in the Eastern Conference, but be powerful enough to change the entire NBA.
Although considered to be a pipe dream by many, the Knicks signing Durant isn’t all that farfetched.
Earlier in the season, Durant complimented Knicks’ rookie Kristaps Porzingis by saying he was a “unicorn”.
"“He can shoot, he can make the right plays, he can defend, he’s a 7-footer that can shoot all the way out to the 3-point line”, Durant said, according to ESPN. “That’s rare. And block shots, that’s like a unicorn in this league.” “When they made the pick, I texted [then Knicks’ head coach Derek Fisher] immediately and said ‘I like this kid, he can play.’ A lot of people were down on him, but he can play. He’s a skilled guy and I think we’ve gotten away from enjoying skilled players in this league. We get so many players that are athletic and big and strong, but he’s a skilled player.”"
That’s a big complement from a player who has as many accolades as Durant does.
From Mike Lupica’s New York State of Mind: Get Durant piece with Sportsonearth.com
"“I was talking to a league guy I like and trust the other night, one without an agenda or any rooting interest as to where Durant plays basketball next season, and the guy said, ‘I’m hearing the Knicks might actually have a chance at Durant,’ and when I asked why, he talked about Jay-Z.”"
There would be nothing Jay-Z would love more than to have one of his Roc Nation clients become the “King of New York”. Lupica isn’t the only one reporting Durant’s interest in the Knicks. Skip Bayless of ESPN’s First Take, stated on the show that Durant is interested in coming to New York citing “a pretty good source, a couple of them.”
Durant would be the last head of the Cerberus that would consist of Kristaps Porzingis and Carmelo Anthony. If this were to happen, the Knicks would have the best front court in the NBA with Robin Lopez as their reserve.
Expect Durant to get a max deal from the Knicks starting at $25 million. Durant could also choose to sign a two year deal with an opt out after the end of the first year, as many are expecting, regardless of where he signs.
Lance Thomas
Lance Thomas was a throwaway in the J.R. Smith/Iman Shumpert trade, but he radically improved his game last season. The forward, who won an NCAA Championship with Duke, re-signed with the Knicks last year on a one-year deal.
He worked on his jump shot and became one of the first guys off the bench in Derek Fisher’s rotation. How vital was Thomas to the Knicks? Before Thomas went down with a knee injury, the Knicks were 21-22.
After his injury the Knicks went 11-28.
He’s an excellent role player when healthy who did a solid job on defense this year. The Knicks should look to re-sign him. He will demand more than the $1.6 million he earned this past season. His injury ultimately hampered his new contract.
Expect the Knicks, at the very least, to give him Derrick Williams money: anywhere from $4.5-$5 million a year.
Cleanthony Early
Hindsight is always 20/20. While it may be up to debate, the Knicks came out as losers of the Tyson Chandler trade. Cleanthony Early was said to be a steal for the Knicks when he was the first draft pick of the Phil Jackson Era. But Early has not lived up to his potential at all.
He was working on his game but never had a chance to truly show it off as he was shot in the knee by a “ski-masked robbery crew after a late-night strip club visit” on December 30, 2015, according to The New York Daily News.
The Knicks could offer him the qualifying offer of $1,180,431 which at this point, Early should take coming off the knee injury.
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