NY Knicks: 3 free agents who compliment RJ Barrett
By Adam Kester
NY Knicks: Norman Powell could fit perfectly into the lineup
One of the most popular free-agent targets for the NY Knicks has been the 28-year-old scorer, Norman Powell.
Powell is entering unrestricted free agency as probably the top 2-guard on the market. After being traded midseason from the Toronto Raptors to the Portland Trail Blazers, Powell and his new team were an early playoff exit. It appears to be very unlikely he’ll be back.
A 28-year-old who can flirt with 50-40-90 shooting splits every year is going to get a lot of money. Not only that, Powell is more than just a shooter.
He’s a well-rounded scorer who is also adept at getting the rim, which can only create more of those automatic, wide-open RJ Barrett catch-and-shoot 3s we’ve grown accustomed to seeing in 2021.
Powell can show up in a lot of the same ways that Bullock did as an impactful sniper. Powell shot an insane 52% on corner 3-pointers and is going to be a fantastic kick-out option for both Barrett and Julius Randle. He could be a natural fit into New York’s offense.
In the same ways previously mentioned about Oladipo, Powell can competitively defend faster shooting guards. Powell is 6’3 but is listed as a shooting guard/small forward. I think given RJ Barrett’s length and strength, it makes sense to plot Powell in the backcourt, but really, both players are being deployed as secondary scorers around the perimeter. It could be a lethal tandem.
Powell is going to be expensive and will likely command in the neighborhood of a 4-year, 80 million dollar deal, which is the biggest reservation about his potential long-term fit with the team.