This offseason, the New York Knicks have their full mid-level exception, meaning that the team can sign a free agent for around $12.2 million. While there are plenty of great options available for the Knicks to sign to this deal, there are some they have to avoid.
The Knicks need a lot of help going into next season. While they can easily get this with their MLE, they must sign the right player. If Leon Rose messes this up, the consequences will be dire. Not every team has their MLE this offseason, making the Knicks one of the lucky ones.
3 players the Knicks must avoid signing with their MLE this offseason
3. SG/SF Dillon Brooks
If there’s one player fans unanimously shouldn’t want this offseason, it’s Dillon Brooks. He’s a great defender, don’t get me wrong, but he isn’t good at a single other thing. Brooks is a complete liability on offense and one of the most toxic players in the NBA. This is not the kind of player you want on a team pushing toward contention.
It’s one thing if Brooks talked like he did and was a great player, but he’s the opposite of great. In fact, there may not be a worse player a team can add to their roster than Brooks this offseason. He may be a valuable defender, but with the way he acts, you’d think he’s the second coming of Kobe Bryant.
Normally, people would feel bad about his situation, but Brooks really did it to himself. His obnoxious attitude and poor play offensively make it nearly impossible for him to fit with any team. The rate at which he shoots the ball makes him a detriment on the floor. For example, there’s not a single reason for him to have attempted 6.0 threes a game considering that he shot 32.6% from that range.
Unless Brooks changes his attitude and mindset, his career is likely going to be much shorter than it originally was hoped to be. Most of his downfall has been brought upon by himself and this is something the Knicks can’t afford to get involved in.