NY Knicks: 3 free agents who compliment RJ Barrett
By Adam Kester
The NY Knicks are less than a month away from the start of free agency.
New York will be looking to not just re-tool, but definitively upgrade their roster with the hope of building off their success in 2020-21. With plenty of upgrades available, they’re going to want to pick up the players who can best fit with the core team that’s in place.
NY Knicks: RJ Barrett can develop with additional help on the perimeter
At this point, every possible free agent has been discussed. Point guards, wings, backup centers, other role players — the possibilities are bottomless.
It would be surprising if the NY Knicks didn’t hand out at least one decently sized contract given their boatload of cap space. Even if the 2021 free agency class isn’t star-studded, there are some opportunities, albeit riskier ones, to acquire significant roster upgrades.
Not only are we considering increasing the individual talent level on the team, it’s about adding players who can help grow and develop the NY Knicks’ young core.
The recently turned 21-year-old RJ Barrett cemented himself as a centerpiece of the Knicks roster and gave every reason to believe that he’s just getting started. Now, it’s about adding more talent around him to help him take that next leap in his development.
At the end of the day, there are only 5 players on the court at all times in basketball, so really, just maximizing the talent on the court is typically what comes before you start thinking about how players “fit” alongside each other.
For RJ Barrett and for this article, I’m thinking specifically about perimeter players who can help give and take different responsibilities to the young Canadian and help him grow into a more defined and prominent role in the NBA.
Essentially, these are possible Reggie Bullock replacements, at least in the starting lineup. These are players who can add new components to the NY Knicks’ offense that can help elevate RJ Barrett and the team as a whole.