Pro: An early advertisement for prospective free agents
It’s still months before the highly-anticipated free agency opens on July 1, but as the New York Knicks prepare for it, they only have two things to offer: a big market and the idea of making a player fall in love with having their own team.
While the market size can remain, Anthony Davis’ arrival substitutes the latter reason, giving prospective free agents a true reason to join the blue and orange.
As the Knicks are currently constructed, they don’t have the roster talent to appeal a top player. The young players are all interesting, but none look like All-NBA stars, for now. They may develop in a few years, sure, but they don’t attract veteran all-stars at 19 or 20 years old.
Davis, however, becomes the most legitimate player on the Knicks — a perennial 20-point, 10-rebound contributor. He takes the pressure off another star and vice verse, allowing for a potent 1-2 punch for the next few years.
With the Eastern Conference still open, that only adds to the appeal.
So, in the meantime, players can see what Davis does with the Knicks, flashing how much better he makes players around him for two months. They flock to Madison Square Garden in July, including veterans willing to take smaller contracts to win, and it’s a win all around.