2) Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
As expected, several players with ties to CAA and Kentucky are being linked to the Knicks in free agency. On Friday, Marc Berman of the New York Post reported current CAA client and former Wildcat Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is on the Knicks’ radar.
Signing the 27-year-old wing would be a depth move for the Knicks. While they are in need of wings who can shoot, acquiring Kidd-Gilchrist would be a low cost move aimed at adding defensive intensity and leadership to the bench.
After being bought out by the Hornets last season, he joined [redacted] in Dallas for their playoff run, but saw limited action. In seven plus seasons with Charlotte, he averaged 8.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists.
Kidd-Gilchrist has never been a three-point threat in his career, and rarely even attempts a shot from outside the arc. Again, adding him would be a move to give new coach Tom Thibodeau a defensively-sound player who can help the young players learn good habits and provide match-up opportunities in key spots during games.
This isn’t the sexiest name attached to the Knicks in free agency, but if you connect the dots through Kentucky and CAA, it’s logical to believe he could eventually find his way to New York.