NY Knicks: Have they done enough to attract big free agent talent this offseason?

Should the NY Knicks continue to take a slower approach to their rebuild?

Alternatively, the Knicks could opt for cost-effective enhancements to their current squad.

It’s no secret that the search for upgrades begins at the point-guard position. If the Knicks set their sights on leadership and a mentor for the promising Immanuel Quickley, a veteran point like Kyle Lowry or Mike Conley could fill those shoes.

However, with injuries clouding the air for both Conley and Lowry recently, that could be a risk the front office isn’t willing to take for next season.

Additionally, one could argue that Derrick Rose already embodies that veteran leadership role for New York.

What more would another aging guard add?

For my money, the Knicks need a transitional point guard that can hold down the fort while Quickley continues his development.

Someone like Reggie Jackson could be the answer in the backcourt. Jackson is coming off a scorching postseason which saw him emerge as a serious outside threat for Los Angeles.

His recent excellence is precedent for a significant raise from his current wage of $2.3 million.

Still, his going rate would likely be dwarfed by the asking price of more established free agent guards and at age 31, injury liability is less of a concern for New York.

Would Jackson, who has finally found some traction out west, be willing to leave a perennial title contender in the Clippers, for the Knicks if the money’s right? Possibly.

Jackson’s in his early thirties, would he be willing to wait for the Knicks to reach the peaks of contention that Los Angeles is currently enjoying? It’s hard to say.

Speculation will continue to run wild throughout the offseason but the importance for the Knicks lies less on who’s available but rather with the impression they’ve left with their 2020-2021 campaign.

Have they righted the ship enough to reel in an all-world, paradigm-shifting superstar like Damian Lillard?

Have they moved the needle sufficiently in order to secure the services of a veteran leader or a bargain sharpshooter?

In the minds of many Knicks die-hards, who have seen the team dragged through the mud in recent years and have routinely reserved seats squarely situated in rock bottom, yes.

These Knicks have given us plenty to be excited about in the near future.

As the days go by, we’ve been given less and less reasons to believe that the recent success has been a mirage and it appears, for the first time in a while, that players on the outside looking in might be willing to go along for the ride.

Buckle up.