In theory, the New York Knicks have a lot to do between now and the start of the 2022-23 season. We’re all aware of the biggest need that needs to be addressed and to get there, Leon Rose will need to reconstruct the roster to pave way for younger talent.
New York made a flurry of offseason moves last year and it’s looking like the same will happen this summer, although I hope that the Knicks have more success next season than they did this year. Don’t we all?
The loss to Atlanta last Tuesday solidified the fact that New York wouldn’t make it to the play-in tournament, but since then fans have gotten to enjoy seeing more of the team’s younger players.
Hopefully, the front office will continue to build around the Knicks’ young core this summer so that New York can make it back to the playoffs.
With that being said, there’s three players in particular that shouldn’t be on the roster next year, excluding Kemba Walker because that’s already been established.
3 New York Knicks players who shouldn’t be on the roster next season.
3: Evan Fournier
Huh? Evan Fournier? The guy who just broke the Knicks’ record for most 3-pointers made in a single season? Yes, that one.
If you watch New York play regularly, you know that while Fournier has knocked down big shots, he’s also been MIA at times. Not literally, though, because he’s only missed two of New York’s 76 games this year.
The 29-year-old is averaging 14.1 points in the 74 games that he’s played in and is shooting 41.6% from the floor and 38.8% from the 3-point line. He now holds the Knicks’ 3-point record with 224 shots and counting.
At 29-years-old, he doesn’t fit the bill for the young direction that New York needs to go in, but that isn’t the reason why the Knicks should consider trading him this summer.
Earlier this year, New York traded for Cam Reddish, who’s out for the season with a shoulder injury. He can be the new starting shooting guard, but there’s also Quentin Grimes, who was the No. 25 overall pick in the 2021 draft.
Grimes has battled through injuries this season and has only played in 45 games, but he has the potential to be a starter.
Fournier is the Knicks’ best 3-point shooter (duh), but the rookie’s shooting 38.9% on an average of 1.6-4.1 attempts per game. That’s not bad at all.
If the front office does throw Fournier in a deal to sweeten things for the opposing team, New York won’t be worse off without him. On the other hand, if he’s still on the roster next year, that won’t be a bad thing for the Knicks either.
2: Alec Burks
Let’s give it up for Alec Burks. No, seriously. He assumed the role as the starting point guard after Derrick Rose went down with an ankle injury in December. The majority of Knicks fans may never want to see him play for the team again because of his struggles, but the blame should be directed at Tom Thibodeau.
For starters, Burks is a shooting guard, not a point guard. With Rose and Walker out, it makes sense why he’s been on the court as the point guard (at times), but playing him around 30+ minutes per game is a bit much.
Perhaps fans would be more partial to Burks if Immanuel Quickley and Miles McBride would’ve spent more time working to facilitate the offense.
I might sound like a Burks apologist, but it’s true. If the 30-year-old wasn’t forced into the starting point guard role, there’s a chance that fans would want to see him back next season.
Regardless, I believe that he’s playing his final games with New York. Similar to Fournier, Burks has been a constant face in the rotation since he’s played in 75 of the team’s 76 games. For reference, the 11-year veteran hasn’t played in that many contests since he appeared in 78 games with Utah in 2013-14.
Burks is averaging 11.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while shooting 39% from the field and 39.8% from beyond the arc.
If the Knicks either draft or trade for a point guard in a couple of months, you can all but assume that Burks will be on his way out. He re-signed with the Knicks this past summer on a three-year, $30 million contract. He’ll make a little over $10 million next season and close to $10.5 million the year after that.
If Thibodeau had his way, Burks would be New York’s starting point guard next year, too, but that’s where Rose (either Leon or Derrick) needs to step in and ensure that won’t be the case.
1: Nerlens Noel
If there was one player that fans had to choose to not be on the Knicks next year, it’d most likely be Nerlens Noel. He signed a three-year, $27.7 million contract with New York last summer after being part of the team’s playoff run.
In 2020-21, the center averaged 6.4 rebounds and 5.1 points in 64 games, which included 41 starts. This season, Noel’s averaging 5.6 rebounds and 3.4 points in the 25 contests that he’s played in (11 starts).
That’ll most likely be his statistics to finish out 2021-22, given that he’s been sidelined with plantar fasciitis and hasn’t played since Feb. 7.
It’s a shame that he’ll only have played in 30% of the Knicks’ 82 regular-season games. If Noel wouldn’t have gotten injured, he’d still be playing behind Mitchell Robinson as part of the second unit.
Instead, rookie Jericho Sims has gotten to assume that duty, which is beneficial considering that Robinson could walk during the offseason.
Even if the Knicks and Robinson don’t agree to a contract extension, the team will sign a center in free agency.
I’d argue that while Noel has more experience than Sims, the 2021 second-round draft pick has proven that he can be the No. 2 option at center. Not to mention, Sims has the opportunity to improve during the offseason, but Noel will be more limited due to his injury.
It’s a no-brainer for New York to get rid of Noel this summer, even if the Knicks don’t re-sign their starting center. Noel has more value as a backup on a team that’s already a contender, not a team that’s looking to grow and develop into one. He simply doesn’t fit the direction that the organization is headed in.
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