If the New York Knicks manage to land Zion Williamson in the 2019 NBA Draft, the offseason in which they’re expected to make waves will have started with an early bang. The former Duke Blue Devils star is the unquestionable favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick, and the potential for the Knicks to add him would set them up to turn the corner quickly.
That is, assuming they have a few things play out in free agency the way the team surely hopes. The Knicks are expected to target two max-contract players, which could include Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, or one of a few other options.
With all that being said, it’s tough to gauge exactly how the Knicks roster would look with Williamson, but we’re going to give it a go by attempting to break it down. And yes, the projected roster and starting lineup will include predictions on NBA free agency, which we’ll evaluate first.
Knicks NBA Free Agency Outlook
I’m actually going to take the strong approach here with the Knicks, and buy into the potential of them landing both Durant and Irving. While they’ll have major competition to land the two players, both have been linked to the Knicks since very early on in the year and would be great fits on the roster.
With that said, I’m going to factor my lineup projection on the Knicks around a bold take that they wind up with Durant, Irving and Zion when the 2019-20 season begins. Whether or not that plays out remains to be seen, but if they do miss on Durant and/or Irving, there’s no question they’ll go after the other top free agent targets.
Assuming the former scenario does play out, the Knicks would have the potential to go from the team in the NBA with the worst record to an immediate title contender. A change of that magnitude is almost unheard of in the current day and age.
Knicks Roster & Starting Lineup With Zion Williamson
*Notates expected starter
C: Mitchell Robinson*, free agent signing, draft pick
PF: Zion Williamson*, Lance Thomas, Henry Ellenson
SF: Kevin Durant*, Damyean Dotson, draft pick
SG: Kevin Knox*, Frank Ntilikina, Allonzo Trier
PG: Kyrie Irving*, Dennis Smith Jr., free agent
Obviously, there’s a lot to be sorted out here, specifically the idea of Kevin Knox playing shooting guard, but I think the Knicks would be able to make it work. Beyond that, they’d need to add some depth in the form of inexpensive free agents and rookies to round out the roster, but overall, it’s a scary starting five.
Having Dennis Smith Jr. as the first player off the bench is also a factor that stands out. He’d provide an immediate spark for the second unit and help ease the times when two members of the “big three” are off the floor. It’s hard to argue with the upside of the above roster, but it would look good even if only Durant or Irving sign this offseason, as opposed to both.
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Knicks Roster & Starting Lineup With Zion Williamson in 2019-20