Much is being made of what the New York Knicks should do ahead of the NBA trade deadline. One of their biggest needs, though, continues to float deep beneath the radar: They have to cut salary.
This isn’t going to register high up on most to-do lists. Some think the Knicks need to focus on landing a backup floor general, although Tyler Kolek is not-so-quietly throwing that logic into question. Others want to see them go after another rim protector, given Mitchell Robinson’s scattershot availability. And then there’s the confab of people pushing for them to pursue a bigger wing, in order to increase the lack of game-ready depth behind OG Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges.
Rational arguments can be made for each item. But if the Knicks want to fill out their roster in time for the playoffs, trimming money from their payroll is a non-negotiable must.
The Knicks could be a prime buyout destination if they cut costs
With less than $150,000 separating them from the second apron, the Knicks cannot sign a veteran minimum free agent on a prorated basis until April 2. At that point, they will have just five regular-season games remaining. More importantly, all the best potential difference-makers on the buyout market will have been scooped up.
Sure, as long as players negotiate a buyout and clear waivers by March 1, they can be eligible for the postseason roster no matter when they sign. Ideally, however, the Knicks would get more time to integrate whomever they land.
Buyout signings, we should note, are seldom season-defining. They can nevertheless move the needle for a contender. And having established themselves as an inner-circle title hopeful, the Knicks will be among the most attractive destinations for vets who broker midseason divorces.
That appeal is an asset by itself. As a team operating above the first apron, New York cannot sign anyone previously on the books for more than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14.1 million), but that still leaves them in play for buyout candidates like Robert Williams III, Haywood Highsmith, Nick Richards, Dario Saric, and others.
This is something the Knicks must plan around
Gobs of people won’t lose sleep over signing a 15th man. That is fair. But depth matters more than ever, including in the playoffs. Last year’s NBA Finals participants, the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder, had two of the league’s deepest rotations.
It also wasn’t long ago that everyone in the Knicks’ orbit was questioning their depth. The doubt has quieted now. That doesn’t mean it won’t return.
Between the minimal value being brought by Guerschon Yabusele, the injury to Landry Shamet, Robinson’s forever-checkered health bill, the up-and-down play of Jordan Clarkson, and the lack of readiness from rookie Mohamed Diawara and sophomore Pacome Dadiet, New York is hardly inoculated against a reversion to shallowness. And this is even if we assume Kolek will remain a rotation mainstay.
Positioning themselves to be a player on the buyout market won’t solve everything. The Knicks can and should make more impactful upgrades via trades. But shaving payroll needs to be part of whatever deals they do strike. It could be the difference that helps them bag another helpful body.