NY Knicks: Constructing the team’s dream offseason
By Max Hoover
The NY Knicks draft players at spots 18 and 21
18. player. 27. . F. New York Knicks. Moses Moody
As stated on the previous slide, the Knicks were able to regain a 1st round pick by moving Kevin Knox and three second-round picks to the Thunder. The NY Knicks will use that pick to select a person Jonathan Givnoy just mocked at pick 18 after the combine: Moses Moody.
Tom Thibodeau will not have to look far to find someone who can give him an inside scoop on Moody. Moody’s college basketball coach, Eric Musselman, has a long-standing relationship with Thibodeau through Musselman’s father, Bill.
Moody fits a lot of needs for this team, but what is most exciting is that Moody had the “top measurement amongst guards” in wingspan at almost 7’1″. That wingspan is going to allow him to guard bigger players.
Moody can also shoot it and rebounds well for a guard. Based on his ability to impact the game without the ball in his hands last year at Arkansas, he should be a really nice fit on a Knicks roster headlined by Lillard and Randle.
F/G. New York Knicks. Chris Duarte. 21. player. 27.
Coach Tom Thibodeau recently said that the NY Knicks are looking for wings that can shoot, so do not be surprised when the Knicks grab a seemingly redundant player three picks after selecting Moody. Duarte definitely checks those boxes. Chris Duarte shot 42% from three-point range last year and boasted a 63% effective field goal percentage.
If that weren’t enough, Duarte was also a First-Team all Pac-12 Defensive Team selection. He was “the only major conference player” to average 1.8 steals per game while also shooting 50% from the floor.
His age (23) shouldn’t scare off the Knicks who are clearly in win-now mode based on the Lillard trade. He brings a ton of value to the table at pick number 21.
Before we move on, let’s check in with the cap situation as it currently stands.
The NY Knicks will pick up Randle’s option, which is now at $21.7 million due to incentives earned, but will wait on his extension. Moody and Duarte would make $2.9 million and $2.5 million respectively.
Earlier this week, I tweeted this idea. I still believe that to be true, but I don’t think Leon Rose (or James Dolan) would agree with me.
It is possible the Knicks could get there, though. If the Knicks cut ties with everyone but Lillard and Randle, they would have approximately $44.6 million in cap space when you factor in Noah’s dead money. If they signed Kawhi Leonard (assuming he opts out) to the exact same starting salary as Lillard ($39.3 million) and they signed two first-round picks as I have projected here, that leaves the Knicks with only their Mid-Level Exception and Bi-Annual Exception and a bunch of minimum players to fill out the roster.
The basketball Cerebus of Leonard/Lillard/Randle with two 3 and D wings looks like a title contender on paper, but the bench would likely be incredibly thin. It also puts a ton of pressure on Moody and Duarte to be ready to go immediately. The Knicks front office will look at the Hawks example and opt instead to try to put as much talent as possible around two key pieces.
With Lillard, Randle, Toppin, Vildoza, Pelle, Moody, Duarte (plus keeping the cap holds for both Bullock and Rose and the Noah dead cap space) the Knicks have approximately $13.87 million in cap space remaining and five spots to fill.