New York Knicks: 5 Under-the-Radar Free Agents to target this summer

New York Knicks: 5 under-the-radar free agents – Zach Collins

The wild card of the group. We’re really talking about a low-floor, high-ceiling guy here.

Collins was a lottery pick of the Portland Trail Blazers in 2017. He came off the bench for them during his first two seasons in a limited role but has struggled to see much of the floor since due to various injuries.

Collins may be the Anthony Randolph of his generation. For those who don’t remember or were otherwise too young, Randolph was an NBA power forward that various fanbases — including the Knicks’ for a while during the 2011 season — talked to themselves into as a potential superstar because of his all-around talent. Randolph had his moments, particularly in Golden State, but was never able to reach his potential and ended up in Europe for a few seasons before retiring from the game.

One obviously hopes that this isn’t the fate for Collins and by all means, it may not be. There is tremendous offensive potential here — Collins can post-up, shoot, and drive at high levels. Collins is also a quality rebounder, averaging 9 a game per 36 minutes in 2019 and his short stint in 2020. In some ways, Collins’ potential reminds one a little of Kevin Love, though he is not as good a passer.

The reason the New York Knicks should sign Collins is simple: he is a modern NBA big with borderline all-star potential and can be signed for almost nothing.