The NY Knicks are armed with assets, and the clock continues to tick for the next unhappy NBA star to become available. The Giannis Sweepstakes were cut short after he signed an extension with the Milwaukee Bucks. After James Harden’s trade to the Brooklyn Nets, eyes turned to Bradley Beal, who appears to be staying in Washington for the time being. Knicks fans should be satisfied with their young core: Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickly, and Mitchell Robinson are a formidable group to build around. The days of theorizing about how Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Zion Williamson would share ball-handling duties have come and gone, and they are not missed.
Could The NY Knicks lure Zion Williamson to the big city?
With that being said, the stars are aligning for what reads like a pipe dream, a diary entry, fan fiction, and straight-up lunacy: Zion Williamson signing with the New York Knicks.
The NY Knicks shouldn’t be buying billboards as they did for LeBron or even clearing cap space as the Heat did for Giannis. Even the suggestion feels like a step too far. However, it’s worth exploring the scenario that could bring the former #1 overall pick and Duke star to the Big Apple – not only as a fun thought experiment but as a representation of the flexible and well-constructed position the Knicks have found themselves in. Allow me to indulge, as I run through the reasons (as far fetched as they may be) that the Knicks could land Zion Williamson.
NY Knicks: Could mismanagement lead to a Zion Williamson exit?
JJ Redick’s surprising trade to the Dallas Mavericks shed some new light on David Griffin’s front office. It was no secret that the 35-year-old sharpshooter was seeking a trade or buyout to be closer to his Brooklyn-based family, whether it’d have been to the Nets, Knicks, or back to the 76ers – Redick wanted to be in the northeast. However, he was dealt just before the trade deadline to Dallas with Nicolo Melli for James Johnson, Wes Iwundu, and a second-round pick. On his podcast, The Old Man and the Three, Redick was very critical about his departure from New Orleans:
"I talked to Griff. I talked to Trajan. Griff basically says to me, ‘Come down for a month. If you still want to be traded, I give you my word, I’ll get you to a situation that you like.’ We had four subsequent conversations… Again, my agent talked to them. But I’m talking to Griff directly. Griff and I had a personal relationship. I don’t think you’re going to get honesty from that front office, just objectively speaking… That’s not an opinion — I just don’t think you’re going to get that. I don’t think what happened with me is necessarily an isolated incident either. But I do think across the league, front offices, they act in their best interest. I get that. I understand that."
Obviously, the Pelicans front office will surely be more accommodating to the franchise player in Zion than to Redick, who at this point in his career is a role player. Any future requests from Zion will surely be met with smiles. If he doesn’t like coach Stan Van Gundy, he’s gone. If he wants them to sign a player, they’re making the call. But Redick’s closing remarks have the greatest implications going forward, and potentially on Zion:
"Truthfully — and it’s hard for me to admit this — I think I was a little naive in thinking that because I was in Year 15, and I had at least attempted to do things right throughout my career and I honored my end of the bargain … But in terms of this front office, yeah, it’s not something where I would expect certainly the agents that worked on this with me to ever trust that front office again."
Both Zion and Redick are represented by CAA – if you go to CAA’s website a Zion Williamson picture graces the front page on their list of clients, Julius Randle among them. If Williamson is content in New Orleans, CAA will keep him there. But it’s a bad idea for the Pelicans front office to leave a bitter taste in the agency that represents their biggest star’s mouth. Former CAA agent and current Knicks president Leon Rose knows that.
NY Knicks: Zion Williamson accepts the qualifying offer
On the March 16th episode of The Lowe Post, Zach Lowe and Kirk Goldsberry theorized about what the next step and “endgame” of the player empowerment era is. Lowe says:
"Teams are living in fear of how will it go. One of the scenarios that you hear about is: who’s gonna be the first superstar coming off of his rookie deal – the first real superstar, who says ‘you know what, I’m just gonna take the qualifying offer. I’m not even gonna negotiate a contract with you guys… If I’m the #1 pick: my qualifying offer for one year then I become an unrestricted free agent. I’m not even gonna deal with restricted free agency. I want outta here as soon as possible.’ And the qualifying offers for the top picks are like fifteen million dollars… Now it’s less than they would make if they signed a new contract right then and there… in the next ten years, someone is going to at least investigate ‘should I do that?’"
If any player has the leverage to accept the qualifying offer and leave guaranteed money on the table, it’s Zion. Even if we were to suffer an injury or have a poor season entering unrestricted free agency at only 24 years old, no team would hesitate to give him the largest contract possible. Zion would make up the money on the back end, whether it’d be through endorsements or his eventual max deal. And we’ve seen stars such as LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard bet on themselves, signing one-year deals and leaving money on the table.
Zion could do the same, and there are zero cap gymnastics the Knicks would need to do to fit Zion in. Obviously, their payroll will look different down the line, but there are no albatross contracts on the books. There are barely any contracts on the books: their 2022-2023 payroll currently consists of team options on Obi Toppin and Immanuel Quickley. That’s it. If Zion bets on himself, the Knicks will be right there with him.
NY Knicks: Zion Williamson & RJ Barrett’s brotherhood
One of the most important and obvious allures of Zion Williamson signing with the Knicks is reuniting with former Duke co-star RJ Barrett. The two young stars are fulfilling all their potential, as Zion is putting up ungodly numbers in New Orleans, averaging 26.4 points on 62% shooting. Barrett has taken a leap, averaging 20.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in his last 13 games while finding himself in the midst of a playoff run. The two were dynamite together at Duke and their games continue to evolve: Zion has become more of a ball-handler, and RJ has improved his shooting and versatility on defense. They would have no trouble existing on the same team. The two remain close friends and have respect for each other’s game.
Former Duke Assistant Chris Carrawell said “They genuinely want each other to do well. They’re each other’s biggest fans. I hope it stays that way for life.
Barrett himself said about their relationship: “We bring the best out of each other.”
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said, “The two of them have become brothers.”
ESPN’s David Hale describes the scene after a 77-76 Duke win over UCF:
"That is what has made Duke’s season special. It’s not just the Zion Show. It’s not just a pair of one-and-dones biding their time. The friendship has pushed them to become better all-around players. They’re better together. The difference in Duke’s 77-76 win over UCF was a Williamson drive to the basket that ended with a bucket and a foul. He missed the free throw to tie the score, but Barrett secured the rebound and made a putback jumper to give Duke the lead. It was a fitting finish. One star feeding off the other. And when it was over, Williamson grabbed Barrett in an embrace. “We’re still standing,” Williamson told his teammate. Barrett grinned, a rare burst of emotion. “Two brothers,” Williamson said."
Crazier things have happened.
Anyways, the Knicks take on The Pistons Saturday night, let’s focus on that for now.