The New York Knicks have enough cap space to hand out a max contract. The question is, which free agents are actually worth giving max money to?
The New York Knicks received powerful financial news on Tuesday, June 21. Embattled shooting guard Arron Afflalo and fan favorite Derrick Williams turned down their respective player options, thus elevating the Knicks’ cap space to upwards of $30 million.
Other teams will have more money to spend, but the Knicks suddenly have enough money to offer a max contract with.
For as intriguing a possibility as this may be, it must be noted that there aren’t many players worthy of a max contract in 2016. Some will be paid based on their market value—relative to the 2016 competition, and not next year’s class of free agents—but the Knicks must be cautious.
According to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv, head coach Jeff Hornacek stated unequivocally that the Knicks are interested in signing a player to a max contract.
Hornacek on chances of Knicks adding a max player in FA: "Oh, absolutely."
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) June 10, 2016
That’s both an intriguing and dangerous development.
For players with up to six years of NBA experience, a max contract would start at $22 million per season. Players with seven to nine years of NBA experience can make a starting salary of $26.4 million per season.
Players with at least 10 years of NBA experience are eligible to make $30.8 million in the first year of their new contract.
That’s a startling amount of money to be thrown around, and it’s something that should both excite and frighten the Knicks. It all sounds good on paper, but even with a rising salary cap, New York must be cautious about which players it offers big money to.
The question is, which players are actually worthy of a max contract in 2016?
Next: Honorable Mention: The Veteran Guards
Honorable Mention: The Guards
Nicolas Batum, UFA
- Nicolas Batum is one of the most versatile players in the NBA. He can score in isolation, space the floor from beyond the arc, run the offense as a facilitator, and defend all three perimeter positions. Thus, it’s easy to understand why many are intrigued by the possibility of signing Batum. It’s also worth noting that Batum is a jack of all trades and a master of none. He’d be an outstanding addition, but a max contract may be a bit much.
Mike Conley, UFA
- Mike Conley has helped the Memphis Grizzlies reach the playoffs in a franchise record six consecutive seasons. Memphis won at least 50 games in three of the past four seasons. Though the Grizzlies haven’t been a one-man show, Conley is a proven postseason performer who lives for the big moments. On the downside, he’s also a 28-year-old point guard who missed much of the 2015-16 season with tendinitis in his achilles tendon.
Rajon Rondo, UFA
- 2015-16 marked the fourth time that Rajon Rondo has led the NBA in assists per game. He finished the season with averages of 11.9 points, 11.7 assists, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals, and made a career-best 62 3-point field goals on 36.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Rondo also has a history of injuries, and had a rocky relationship with many of his head coaches.
Dwyane Wade, UFA
- Two years ago, there would be no question about whether or not Dwyane Wade should receive a max contract. At 34 years of age, however, Wade is a more difficult player to project financially. He averaged 21.4 points on 46.9 percent shooting in the playoffs, and should be one of the New York Knicks’ primary offseason targets. Paying a 34-year-old on shaky knees max money simply isn’t the easiest move to make.
Next: Honorable Mention: The Big Men
Honorable Mention: The Big Men
Al Horford, UFA
- Al Horford is one of the most consistent and reliable players in the NBA. He does a bit of everything on both ends of the floor, and doesn’t have an exploitable weakness. Whether he’s pulling up from midrange, spotting up from beyond the arc, crashing the boards, going to the post, or attacking off the bounce, he can do it all. He’s even a plus defender. At 29 years of age, however, is he worth paying upwards fo $26 million per season?
Dwight Howard
- Dwight Howard is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year award winner with an NBA Finals appearance and three trips to the Conference Finals. On that alone, hes’ easily worth a max contract. Back and shoulder injuries have simply become too much of an issue to justify a max contract from a team that’s already solid at center. Howard can still play—No. 2 in the NBA in field goal percentage and No. 4 in rebounding—but he’ll turn 31 years old in December, and still lacks a consistent post game.
- Hassan Whiteside is your quintessential Phil Jackson center. He’s a physically overwhelming player who can play from the post, spot-up from midrange, and dominate the glass on both ends. He’s also the most dominant shot-blocker in the NBA. With questions about his maturity and overall consistency, however, it’s fair to question whether or not he should receive a max contract.
Next: The Calculated Risk
The Calculated Risk: DeMar DeRozan, UFA
Position: Shooting Guard
Age: 26 (8/7/1989)
Slash Line: .446/.338/.850
Season Averages: 35.9 MPG, 23.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.6 3PM
DeMar DeRozan has led the Toronto Raptors to three consecutive Atlantic Division titles. He was the leading scorer on all three of those teams, and overcame a slow start to help Toronto reach the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals.
The question is, is a slashing scorer with a subpar 3-point shot and a dated dependency on midrange shooting worth a max contract?
DeRozan finished 2015-16 at No. 1 in the NBA in points via drives and free throw attempts via drives per game. He admittedly has a tendency to settle for jump shots, but on a team with Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis, DeRozan would have a specifically outlined role.
Anthony and Porzingis are consistent threats as shooters, which means Jeff Hornacek would task DeRozan with relentlessly driving and leaving the pull-up jump shots to his teammates.
In most other situations, DeRozan likely wouldn’t be worth a max contract. The exception is found with a team that has two other players who can create in isolation, and a head coach who runs a motion offense.
This would be is the perfect situation for DeRozan to enter, and that’s without addressing the Phil Jackson factor.
Next: The Red Flags
The Red Flags: Bradley Beal, RFA
Position: Shooting Guard
Age: 22 (6/28/1993)
Slash Line: .449/.387/.767
Season Averages: 31.1 MPG, 17.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.9 3PM
Bradley Beal is a 22-year-old shooting guard with elite potential as a scorer and 3-point shooter. He’s already proven himself in the playoffs, accumulating averages of 21.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.6 steals, and 2.1 3-point field goals made in 21 games played.
Unfortunately, he’s also missed 81 regular season games due to injury during his four NBA seasons.
Beal’s max contract would start at $22 million per season. That’s far lower than the $26.4 million the Knicks would owe a seven-to-nine-year veteran shooting guard, and a far cry from the $30.8 a 10-year veteran would start at.
By that logic alone, it could be worth handing Beal a max contract worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $90 million over four years.
The harsh reality is, Beal has missed at least 19 games due to injury in three of his four NBA seasons. He’s still young and growing into his body, but that could be more than just a case of his progressive physical development; it could be a sign of things to come.
Beal would be a dream fit in Jeff Hornacek’s offense stylistically, but his injuries make him a maybe.
Next: Superstar Potential
The Future Superstar: Andre Drummond, RFA
Position: Center
Age: 22 (8/10/1993)
Slash Line: .521/.333/.355
Season Averages: 32.9 MPG, 16.2 PPG, 14.8 RPG, 4.9 ORPG, 1.5 SPG, 1.4 BPG
Andre Drummond is a 22-year-old phenom who just led the league in rebounding and made the All-NBA Third Team. Thus, while he may not be a superstar today, it’d be entirely understandable for a team to hand him a max contract in 2016.
The bad news for the New York Knicks: Drummond is a restricted free agent, and the Detroit Pistons will likely match any offer he receives.
Drummond was far and away the best rebounder in the NBA during the 2015-16 season. His 14.8 rebounds per game were 1.0 higher than the next leading player, and his 21.6 rebounds per 48 minutes were 2.0 higher.
The Mount Vernon native also averaged a league-leading 4.9 offensive rebounds per game, with DeAndre Jordan checking in at No. 2 with 3.5.
Furthermore, Drummond diversified his offensive game by adding a paralyzing drop-step to his face-up attack. In turn, he averaged 16.2 points on 52.1 percent shooting from the field for the postseason-bound Detroit Pistons.
Detroit is all but guaranteed to re-sign Drummond, but the Knicks should still extend a max contract offer for due diligence’s sake.
Next: Established Superstar
The MVP: Kevin Durant, UFA
Position: Small Forward
Age: 27 (8/10/1993)
Slash Line: .505/.386/.898
Season Averages: 35.8 MPG, 28.2 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.2 BPG, 1.0 SPG, 2.6 3PM
There’s no rational opposition to the belief that Kevin Durant would be worth a max contract. He’s already won an MVP award and four scoring titles, which can be said by just three other players: Wilt Chamberlain, Allen Iverson, and Michael Jordan.
It’s nothing short of outstanding that Durant has done all of this and is still only 27 years of age.
By signing Durant, the Knicks would build the best frontcourt in the NBA. He, Carmelo Anthony, and Kristaps Porzingis are all threats to take over a game as scorers, and would even have elite defensive potential as a unit.
With Robin Lopez rounding out the frontcourt quartet, the Knicks would be able to go toe-to-toe with any team in the NBA.
Durant is entering his prime, which would make a max contract even easier to understand. He’s one of the Top 5 players on the planet, already has an NBA Finals appearance under his belt, and is friends with Carmelo Anthony.
A future with Anthony, Durant, and Porzingis would be one heck of a future.
Next: Best In The World
The Living Legend: LeBron James, UFA
Position: Small Forward
Age: 31 (12/30/1984)
Slash Line: .520/.309/.731
Season Averages: 35.6 MPG, 25.3 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 6.8 APG, 1.4 SPG, 1.1 3PM
LeBron James is 31 years old, and a max contract would span well beyond his prime. Thus, there’s reason to be concerned about giving an aging player a contract that would eat the salary cap.
Now that we’ve said all of the senseless and meaningless things we have to say, let’s acknowledge the truth: James would single-handedly make the New York Knicks a contender.
James has delivered on his promise to bring the Cleveland Cavaliers the first NBA championship in franchise history. In the process, he ended a 52-year title drought by Cleveland’s major professional sports teams.
If James were to leave the Cavaliers, he’d be able to do so with the knowledge that he did his job in Cleveland.
James is a three-time NBA champion, three-time Finals MVP, four-time league MVP, and 10-time All-NBA First Team selection. He won that third championship, as well as the Finals MVP award, in 2016 by leading both teams in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals.
Love him or hate him, the Knicks would be ignorant to decline an opportunity to sign LeBron James.
must read: The New York Knicks should make a run at Dwyane Wade
If this list proves anything, it’s that handing out a max contract in 2016 would be a tough move to justify.