The New York Knicks have disappointed during the regular season again. Heading towards another losing season fans now look forward to hopefully an exciting offseason. With the 2020 free agency class lacking superstar talent who could the Knicks target?
Last season the New York Knicks spent a lot of money on surprising free agents. While most of those players haven’t panned out, it is easy for the Knicks to get out of their contracts. Almost every contract the team gave had an escape option after the first season. With the 2020 class lacking in star power the New York Knicks will have to target efficient role players to attract future stars.
One thing every super star loves is to be surrounded by shooters, something the New York Knicks currently do not have. With plenty of potential cap space the Knicks could go after one of the leagues best sharp shooters.
Joe Harris
Joe Harris could be everything the New York Knicks wanted Wayne Ellington to be. Harris is one of the league’s premiere three-point shooters.
After shooting a career worse 25% from three in 2015 as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Harris would break out in 2016 as a member of the Brooklyn Nets. In his first season in Brooklyn, Joe Harris shot 38.5% from deep averaging a career high 8.2 points a game. However, this was only the beginning.
Harris would only continue to get better, leading the NBA in three-point percentage at 47.4% in 2018. Joe Harris also famously defeated Stephen Curry during the All-Star three-point competition. Harris’s improved efficiency from deep bumped up his points per game as well, averaging over 13 points a game in the last two seasons.
Why would the Nets ever let Joe Harris walk? Well thanks to their star-studded 2019 free agency signings, Brooklyn is currently strapped for cash. Even with the salary cap rising to $115 million in 2020, the Nets have little wiggle room.
Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, Caris Levert, Taurean Prince, Spencer Dinwiddie and DeAndre Jordan are already taking up over $120 million.
The Nets could attach picks to a player like Prince to clear his cap hit, but the Nets would have to make a few more moves to even get close to what Joe Harris would be asking for.
ESPN’s Zach Lowe noted on his podcast that Harris, who now makes $8 million annually, could make somewhere in the $16 million range per season on his new contract. While Brooklyn may have a hard time coughing up that type of money given their prior commitments, the New York Knicks could easily cover Harris’s cost.
Last summer the New York Knicks gave Bobby Portis 31 million for 2 years, Wayne Ellington 16 million for two years, and Marcus Morris 15 million for 1 year. Luckily Portis’ second year is a team option, which the Knicks shouldn’t pick up (unless there truly is no one else, and I mean literally no one else to spend cap room on.) Ellington’s second year only has a $1 million guaranteed, meaning parting ways with the veteran guard would be no issue given his disappointing year in the Big Apple.
Bringing in an elite shooter to pair alongside RJ Barrett is a very appealing option for the New York Knicks. Damyean Dotson is the only Knick shooting above league average from deep. With no true stars to stalk after this off-season (unless Anthony Davis decides that he likes having all 4 seasons) the New York Knicks could try to pay an elite role player to help in future seasons and Joe Harris fits that description to a tee.