Potential Knicks free agent targets: Jerami Grant, Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets still have work to do in the NBA Playoffs. After shocking the world with an upset of the Los Angeles Clippers, they are currently in a Western Conference Finals showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers.
However, once the offseason does finally arrive, they have some decisions to make on their roster. Assuming a flat cap ($109 million), they only have about $13 million in cap space after factoring in the guaranteed contracts of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Will Barton, Michael Porter Jr., Vlatko Cancar, and PJ Dozier.
That means they have limited space to add to their core 4-5 players.
In looking at the players who are set to become free agents, the most intriguing is Jerami Grant. While depressed league revenues should tighten the free agent market, it seems logical to expect Grant to be one of the few veterans who decides to decline his player option (at $9.35 million). He indicated that he was leaning against picking up the option earlier this summer.
The 26-year-old forward has turned into a starter for the Nuggets in the playoffs, and with Paul Millsap and Mason Plumlee likely departing, he could be a priority for them to bring him back; however, they will be limited in exceeding the cap to retain him, only owning his early-Bird rights.
Grant fits the bill for the Knicks as a young forward who can stretch the floor – he shot 38.9 percent from three this past season – and provide versatility in their lineup on defense. While he will be looking for a raise on his player option amount, he shouldn’t break the bank. And he would be a welcome improvement over Julius Randle (assuming the Knicks find a way to move on from him) next season.