New York Knicks small forward target: Kawhi Leonard
This is perhaps the thinnest position of any in this year’s free-agent class. After Leonard, the player worth drops off a cliff, to the point where there are hardly any other starters or sixth men at the SF position.
I have reservations about this even becoming anything more than a nice thought. However, the Knicks should at least try to pry Leonard for Los Angeles instead of resorting to an older DeMar DeRozan or Kelly Oubre Jr., who will most likely receive one of the worst contracts of this free-agent class.
All that to say that if Kawhi Leonard does join the New York Knicks, they’re title contenders right up there with Brooklyn and nobody else.
Unfortunately, the chances of New York landing Kawhi in free agency is probably a lot slimmer than working out a trade for Lillard. Kawhi’s contract may be up, but he’ll most likely restructure, as the new wave of NBA players has done recently to prolong contracts and make more money over the long haul.
A more realistic fit at small forward could be Doug McDermott, who the New York Knicks are already rumored to be interested in.
The lone bright spot for why Leonard could bolt to New York is his surrounding pieces. Paul George and Julius Randle are virtually equal given Randle’s emergence and George’s slight fall. After the second options, New York’s bench is a lot younger compared to Los Angeles. The Knicks franchise will have enough cap space to add another piece or two if Leonard were to sign a maximum deal.
This is all a fairytale dream, but New York will be one team with enough cap space to sign Leonard, and at just 30 years old heading into next season, who’s to say Kawhi wouldn’t want a younger team to try and win multiple championships with.