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

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Mar 8, 2020; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Elfrid Payton (6) dribbles the ball against the Detroit Pistons during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports /

Elfrid Payton: Non-guaranteed at $8.0 million

Vote to Keep

This is a tricky one. I don’t think it’s as straight-forward as many would believe. While Elfrid Payton is far from the solution at point guard, he also isn’t a problem. Playing on a mostly terrible roster last season, the Knicks were 7.9 points better when Payton was on the court versus on the bench. As we recently highlighted on the site, there are a lot of reasons to like the 26-year-old as an alternative to overpaying for a veteran lead guard.

Re-visiting 2019 free agency. dark. Next

Vote for Change

Again, while Payton isn’t terrible, he also isn’t the type of lead guard who is going to catapult the Knicks into contention. He is what he is at this point of his career. He is best served in a back-up role. For $8 million, the Knicks can do better. They will likely pick up a point guard in the draft, and could acquire a starter in free agency or trade, leaving little room for Payton.

ELECTION RESULT: Vote for Change

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