Following an early playoff exit, NY Knicks fans are already super excited for the offseason and they wait for their favorite team to make additions to the roster. While the most popular headlines are talking about a potential blockbuster trade or the signing of a veteran all-star, there is no doubt in my mind that Kelly Oubre Jr. is a free agent that would improve the Knicks immediately due to his likely asking price as well as his under-appreciated talent.
NY Knicks: Kelly Oubre Jr. could be a great fit
With New York coming off their best season in 8 years, Knicks fans are ready to see the team make blockbuster trades for stars like Damian Lillard, sign guys like Kawhi Leonard, and overall make the team a serious finals contender.
While I definitely understand the excitement and desire to see the team hoist up the Larry O’Brien, I worry that acquiring a superstar like that can completely ruin the build of the roster that we’ve waited so long to see. Instead of trading assets for a mega-star, the NY Knicks should look towards Oubre Jr. as someone who can really give the team a boost.
Despite a really rough start to the season, Oubre Jr. averaged 15.4 points per game, 6 rebounds along with 1 steal. This was coming off a career season for him where in his final year in Phoenix he averaged 18.7 points with 6.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals. While many NBA fans doubt that Oubre Jr. is a worthy signing due to his inconsistent shooting and lack of effort at times, I think this makes him an extremely good candidate for the Knicks to obtain this offseason.
While there were a lot of highs this season, if anything, it proved that head coach Tom Thibodeau can maximize the talent of any players on his roster. Just look at the career years from Julius Randle, Reggie Bullock, Nerlens Noel, etc.
With a player like Kelly Oubre Jr., you’re getting a guy in which you know has a lot of talent and has a multi-dimensional offensive game. With Thibodeau’s mentorship, I feel like you will see him play the best defense of his career along with an offensive display that is starting lineup-worthy. Oubre Jr. has never shot higher than 35.2% from 3 in his career but maybe he can have some of that magic we saw from the 2020-2021 team.
While Bullock was a solid starter for the duration of the season, I’ll find it hard to believe that you wouldn’t welcome Oubre Jr’s athleticism along with his high-energy play.
Look, I know a superstar on the Knicks is something we all want right now; but it’s important to have patience and not jump the gun and an inopportune time. The demand for stars right now is the highest we’ve seen in a long time and with the free agent market not looking like it will contain any, it’s vital to wait.
Yes, New York has a ton of cap space but there also is a lot of players that need to be brought back so it’s important to not put all the eggs in one basket.
There are plenty of ways to simply improve the team which should be the primary focus heading into next season and Kelly Oubre Jr. is the cream of the crop when it comes to doing so. Plus, another lefty on the team couldn’t hurt!