NY Knicks: Voting for the players New York should keep this offseason

Bobby Portis Jr.: Team option for $15.75 million

Vote to Keep

Let’s start with why on earth the Knicks would decide to keep Bobby Portis Jr. for over $15 million next season. The answer is simple: they can use him in a trade to manipulate their cap space in a way that allows them to acquire more players.

Let me explain. If the Knicks decide to pull off a deal for, say, Chris Paul, they can do so by clearing their books and absorbing most of his salary into cap space. This would allow them to send back a draft pick or Kevin Knox-type player in return.

However, if the Knicks want to acquire Chris Paul, but also use their cap space to sign free agents, they would be better off spending around $20 million in the open market and then packaging Portis Jr.’s salary (after it is guaranteed) as an expiring to Oklahoma City in order to aggregate salaries as a means to exceed the cap to acquire Paul.

Basically, instead of creating the necessary space to absorb Paul’s full salary, only create part of that space and use Portis Jr. to make up the rest.

Keeping Portis Jr. would be a cap mechanics move more than a basketball decision.

Vote for Change

Bobby Portis Jr. is not a $15 million player in a normal market, and 2020 is anything but a normal market. By bringing him back at that rate, the Knicks would effectively squander a rare opportunity to use their cap space to sign veteran free agents at a discount or use their cap space to absorb bad contracts in hopes of gaining sweeteners.

While there are scenarios they could explore in trading Portis Jr. to acquire more salary, as outlined above, that requires another team being open to taking back his salary, which is a lot, even if it is expiring.

ELECTION RESULT: Vote for Change