New York Knicks Offseason Strategy: Prey on the Weak

Marked Down Conley Jr.

A player I am really intrigued with is Mike Conley Jr. Unlike CP3, his contract only has one season left on it, so it’s less risky.

While he is not the player Paul is, he would still makes the young players better by bringing stability to the point guard position. Conley might not be as washed as many believe because he was not a good fit alongside Donovan Mitchell. In New York, his usage rate would increase back to the level of his Memphis days (26-27%).

Regardless if he pans out or not, you can see Knicks cap specalist Brock Aller making some creative moves with his contract. At $34.5 million, it would be easier to match up salaries in an in-season trade.

A deal for Conley would be similar to Paul’s, but would probably not include Jazz draft picks since it’s an expiring deal. Would be interesting to see if Walt Perrin could leverage his connections in Utah to make the deal happen.

Victor Ola-cheapo

Victor Oladipo is not a point guard, but he is a player that can be the engine of the offense, if he returns to his old form. The “if” is a big concern.

However, Oladipo only has one year left on his contract at $21 million. The tricky part with Oladipo’s situation is that while Indiana is motivated to move him for both financial and basketball reasons, there are rumors of another suitor. This could increase the value of the package the Knicks would need to offer as the Miami Heat are the other team that has been rumored.

Oladipo also has a fan in Scott Perry, who worked for the Orlando Magic when they drafted him second overall in the 2013 draft. A trade for Oladipo may require draft compensation and a player like Dennis Smith Jr., and of course, some “cash considerations”.