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Knicks Rumors: Pros and Cons of potentially signing Ben McLemore

By Maxwell Ogden

SACRAMENTO, CA - OCTOBER 27: Ben McLemore #23 of the Sacramento Kings warms up prior to the start of an NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs at Golden 1 Center on October 27, 2016 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CA - OCTOBER 27: Ben McLemore #23 of the Sacramento Kings warms up prior to the start of an NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs at Golden 1 Center on October 27, 2016 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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NEW ORLEANS, LA – FEBRUARY 18: Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the New York Knicks celebrates after winning the 2017 Taco Bell Skills Challenge at Smoothie King Center on February 18, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA – FEBRUARY 18: Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the New York Knicks celebrates after winning the 2017 Taco Bell Skills Challenge at Smoothie King Center on February 18, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

Pro: Fitting The Timeline

The New York Knicks are building a future around 21-year-old power forward Kristaps Porzingis. New York has committed to that process by acquiring 23-year-old center Willy Hernangomez and 18-year-old point guard Frank Ntilikina via the NBA Draft.

Ben McLemore isn’t quite as young as that trio, but having just turned 24 years of age in February, he fits the timeline that New York is building along.

With a young core already in place, New York has an opportunity to build something sustainable and cost-efficient. Rather than shelling out massive salaries to veterans, it can give younger players a chance to prove their worth.

McLemore is the perfect candidate after what can be objectively labeled as a disappointing four seasons with the Sacramento Kings.

The worst case scenario would be that McLemore doesn’t pan out and proves to be the player he was in Sacramento. In that case, the Knicks would either have him on the books for a relatively cheap cost or could let him walk after a brief period of time.

The best case scenario is that McLemore finally realizes his potential and joins the Knicks’ core as the missing piece at shooting guard.