The New York Knicks have around a number of roster spots to fill before next season. Pau Gasol and Lance Stephenson are two options Phil Jackson could consider.
The free agent moratorium begins July 1, and the New York Knicks are in desperate need of talent every position on the roster. Conveniently, Pau Gasol declined his player option and the Memphis Grizzlies turned down Lance Stephenson’s team option.
That opens up a couple of opportunities for the Knicks.
Gasol is a realistic option for New York
Pau Gasol is still one of the most talented big men in the NBA, and that goes without saying. He averaged a double-double in two consecutive seasons with the Chicago Bulls, and at 35, those are statistics that can’t be overlooked.
His contract expired at $7.7 million, a minor fee given the current NBA salary cap.
If the Knicks can pique Gasol’s interest now that they’ve successfully traded for Derrick Rose, he’d bring immediate change to the Knicks’ roster. Without Robin Lopez, the Knicks lack front-court depth.
Adding Gasol into the mix would allow Kristaps Porzingis to continue his development as a stretch 4, while also allowing the Knicks to maintain a steady defensive presence.
Gasol may be 35, but he’s still able to lock down the paint alongside another defensive stalwart such as Porzingis — of course, that might be a stretch because he’s only just finished his rookie season.
Gasol might not be looking for a long-term contract. Though it may be a gamble, the Knicks might as well take it if Phil Jackson has already taken huge gamble on an injury plagued point-guard.
Gasol isn’t a huge concern for injury, as he’s played 70+ games in his last two seasons while playing between 31.8 and 34.4 minutes per game, and he offers some more veteran guidance with a huge upside.
The Knicks have a small fiscal issue with $30 million in cap space. They can easily offer max contracts to elite players, but it would make more sense for Jackson to go after middle-tier guys in order to round out the roster. Gasol remains an elite player, but he can be bought at a reasonable, affordable price.
Along with his connection to Phil Jackson, Gasol is a bargain.
Stephenson could be fruitful
Though his attitude still raises some concern, Lance Stephenson should be a target for any NBA team now that his team option has been declined by the Memphis Grizzlies.
In 26 games with Memphis, Stephenson averaged 14.2 points, 2.8 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game on a slash line of .474/.355/.815.
It’s a small sample size, but his numbers show his potential. Stephenson played a majority of those games off the bench, too, which allowed him to stick to his role as a ball-dominant guard.
The Knicks will likely be without Arron Afflalo and should still be looking to keep Langston Galloway under contract. Stephenson has become a realistic option for the Knicks at the 2 or 3, which are positions that require some change if New York hopes to strengthen the team overall.
That being said, the only other option at the shooting-guard/small-forward would be Justin Holiday. Holiday is by no means a star player, and he hasn’t even truly shown the NBA what he’s capable of.
In the event that New York signs Stephenson to a contract, though, Holiday could still be utilized as a starter for some long-distance shooting. Holiday shot 43.3 percent from beyond the arc in 27 games with the Chicago Bulls in 2015-16.
That’d leave Stephenson to come off the bench—a role in which he has thrived.
The likelihood of Gasol or Stephenson being let go by their teams is pretty low, but they’re still options for Phil Jackson to go after. He’ll need to fill up the roster somehow.
Ron Baker, Marshall Plumlee and Willie Hernangomez, there have been no concrete reports of New York making moves to reshape the roster.
must read: Five reasons to sign Pau Gasol
Come July 1, there will be plenty more activity in the NBA market.