New York Knicks: Five point guard alternatives if Kyrie Irving does not sign

3. Dennis Smith Jr.

The New York Knicks actually have a point guard on their roster, a 21-year-old, former top-10 pick that just arrived in January. Connections to outside players like Kyrie Irving have made him an afterthought, however.

Dennis Smith Jr. went side-by-side with Frank Ntilikina in the 2017 NBA Draft. The Knicks, of course, chose the latter man. There was a debate at the time, but neither player has flourished in their respective two seasons since.

As teammates, for now, both had struggles in 2018-19. Smith showed more glimpses, but he fell into an inefficient run down the stretch, potentially due to a back injury in March that carried into April.

A pair of strong offensive games upon arrival displayed what the North Carolina State product can do, but he never seemed like a real lock as the future starting point guard, especially as free-agent rumors persisted.

What if the Knicks fail with all outside options, though? It is realistic, along with players ahead of him on this list.

While not the perfect point guard, Smith still has room to grow. Defensively, it may not happen with a 6-foot-3 wingspan, but if he grows as an outside shooter, New York will have an interesting piece to work with. It just might not happen if they sign Kevin Durant and another superstar to push that winning window to now.