I recently discussed a few players the NY Knicks could look to possibly sign with their open roster spot after the team reportedly cut Vincent Poirier, but now the team has TWO available roster spots after cutting Terrance Ferguson as well.
It seems that the Knicks are surely up to something with having these 2 available spots on their roster.
I could have seen a reason for them to keep Ferguson but I guess they have other plans.
There was some speculation that the Knicks were going to look to sign Andre Drummond once he was bought out by the Cavaliers but Drummond chose to sign with the Lakers instead.
I for one am happy that happened, as the only reason Drummond would have chosen New York over Los Angeles is if they were to extend him to a beefy contract.
This would obviously mean that young Mitchell Robinson’s time with the team would be limited.
Not ideal.
Who should the NY Knicks sign to fill the 2 available roster spots?
Speaking of Mitchell Robinson, he had just recently come back after a nearly 6-week hiatus after sustaining a hand injury, all just to break his right foot against the Bucks last Saturday.
His timeline for his return from injury looks a bit bleak.
Even with Mitch’s injury, I still wouldn’t have wanted the Knicks to bring in Drummond because that would be a Knicks move of old.
We as fans need to remain patient, stay the course, and continue to let our young players develop when we have control over them.
The last player the Knicks drafted to sign a multi-year extension was Charlie Ward who was drafted all the way back in 1994.
Bringing in Drummond would mean that yet another star the team has drafted would get traded before his rookie deal had ended.
I went off on a bit of a tangent there, so I digress…
There aren’t a ton of huge buyout players available but there have been a few cuts made recently that do intrigue me.
Here are 3 players I believe the Knicks should kick the tires on to fill up the 2 available roster spots.
Should the NY Knicks take a look at Jabari Parker?
The former #2 overall pick from back in the 2014 NBA draft, Jabari Parker could be an interesting fit for the Knicks.
Another Duke Blue Devil like the Knicks’ RJ Barrett, Parker was selected as high as he was because he was viewed as a surefire superstar in the making.
While he has seen his fair share of success in the league, nagging injuries have hindered him for his entire career.
In just his 3rd NBA season, Parker averaged 20 points, 3 assists, and 6 rebounds per game.
Since then, he’s bounced around the league and hasn’t really been able to replicate his production from his 3rd professional season.
The reason I think Jabari Parker would be a tremendous fit for the Knicks is that he and Obi Toppin play the same position and their games are similar but Parker would come in as a veteran presence.
Obi looks like a baby deer on ice skates out there sometimes, looking completely out of his element.
I’m all for the wait-and-see approach for Obi and not necessarily wanting to get rid of him as soon as possible.
But come playoff time, I would much rather have Parker playing the backup 4 role over Obi.
Still just 26 years old, I think if Parker reinvents himself a bit, he can be a solid contributor to any team, just not in an increased role.
If the Knicks gave Parker the 12 minutes per game that Obi is getting during the playoffs, I think the team would be in much better shape.
Should the NY Knicks bring Marquese Chriss in for an interview?
It’s almost like the 8th pick in the draft is destined to have a hard time in the NBA.
We Knicks fans know all too well how excited we get when we get what seems to be a star player with the 8th pick, and then they turn out to be Frank Ntilikina and Obi Toppin.
The jury is obviously still out on Obi but it’s all but a guarantee that Frank Ntilikina will be nothing more than a solid role player during his NBA tenure.
Marquese Chriss is a very intriguing name that the Knicks could take a look at in the coming days.
While of course, he hasn’t really panned out as far as his pre-draft expectations as a former lottery pick, he has shown glimpses of being able to produce at this level, most notably during his time as the starting center for the Steph Curry and Klay Thompson-less Warriors.
Still just 23 years old, Chriss can still improve over time, and with the right coaching, I am sure he could be a solid backup behind Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson until Mitchell Robinson returns from his injury.
The Knicks may opt for an older veteran presence to fill the need over a player like Chriss, but still, the idea of bringing him on board and coaxing as much value and talent out of him as possible would be a fun little idea.
Chriss has a suitable mid-range game which is something the Knicks don’t currently have, and tries to stretch the floor even further but has not been able to hit from deep all that often.
What he does provide at a reliable level is rebounding and inside scoring, and he’s also a very athletic, bouncy, high-energy guy.
I think it’s finally time the NY Knicks bring in DeMarcus Cousins…
I think it’s finally time.
I wrote an article about how the Knicks should maybe take a peek at Boogie after the Rockets released him but I was still a bit unsure as to how he would fit on the team once Mitch came back from his hand injury.
I think at this point, even when Mitch returns, he may be better suited in a reserve role for the remainder of whatever amount of season we have left once he’s back.
There’s a number of reasons why the Knicks would sign him at this point, many more reasons than they had just a month or so ago.
Firstly, the Kentucky connection.
Cousins was coached by Knicks’ assistant Kenny Payne during his time as a Wildcat, so I think that relationship can keep Boogie out of trouble.
The need for a starting-caliber big-man is glaring.
Nerlens Noel played great in Mitch’s absence but one thing that was sorely missed was a little bit of scoring from the position.
Cousins obviously isn’t the defender that Noel or Robinson is, but he makes up for that with the ability to fill up the stat sheet.
In his prime, Boogie averaged 28 a game, a block and a half, a steal and a half, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists.
We all know we aren’t getting that out of Boogie anymore, but 10-15 points per game would be a welcome addition to this Knicks’ roster.
Boogie is also an incredible playmaker for a big, which is an element the Knicks haven’t had since Joakim Noah was in town.
Lastly, his ability to stretch the floor could really serve the offense well and create a bit more space than they had before for RJ and Julius Randle to do their thing.
It’s a cute idea, but I still don’t know…