Knicks Rumors: Christian Wood a top target for New York

The New York Knicks appear to like Detroit big man Christian Wood.

While much of the offseason focus has been on the upcoming NBA Draft and free agent targets such as Fred VanVleet, Ian Begley of SNY reports that one team with interest in impending free agent Christian Wood expects the forward to be a “top target” for the New York Knicks this offseason.

What this means: This is not the first time Begley has reported the Knicks have interest in the 6-foot-10 forward. Back in March, he wrote that some in the front office were “enamored” with the up-and-coming youngster. Pistons beat writer James Edwards III listed the Knicks as the top threat to steal the big man away from Detroit in May.

As the Knicks monitor the free agent market for talent to improve their roster, signing Wood could be a risky proposition, as the 25-year-old forward has yet to prove he can be an effective NBA player over a full 82-game slate.

He is coming off a breakout campaign in Detroit, putting up impressive numbers over the team’s final 13 games of the season while filling the void created from the Andre Drummond trade.

While the sample size is small, it is rare to have an opportunity to sign a player with Wood’s upside at such a young age. Since he was undrafted, he qualifies for unrestricted free agency sooner than most players of his age and pedigree.

Does he fit? The Knicks enter the offseason in search of shooting and a lead guard to jumpstart their offense. Wood doesn’t really check either of those boxes, but he has shown flashes of spacing the floor, connecting on 38.6 percent of his threes this past season, while attempting 2.3 per game. Obviously, playing him next to Mitchell Robinson would require him to continue to develop that aspect of his game.

The Knicks can create over $40 million of cap space this offseason, putting them in unique position to target free agents in a market expected to be squeezed due to the coronavirus pandemic.