The New York Knicks have been one of the most active clubs in free agency thus far, but have largely focused on bringing back free agent members of last year’s team.
All of Alec Burks, Derrick Rose, Nerlens Noel, and Taj Gibson have been re-signed to new contracts.
And each of those earned them, playing critical roles in the Knicks returning to the playoffs last season for the first time since the 2012-2013 season.
New York also made somewhat of a splash, inking veteran guard Evan Fournier to a four-year, $78-million deal.
But after all of that, the starting point guard position remains unmanned, albeit not for lack of trying.
The New York Knicks reportedly held discussions with Kendrick Nunn, who ultimately opted for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Previously with the Miami Heat, he’s joining up with the 2020 champs on a two-year, $10-million deal.
Shams Charania of The Athletic was first with reports:
Kendrick Nunn has agreed to a two-year, $10M deal with the Lakers, his agent Adam Pensack tells @TheAthletic @Stadium.
Nunn averaged 14.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 56 appearances for Miami last season.
Knicks Offered Nunn More Money Than LA
After reporting Kendrick Nunn’s new deal, Shams Charania followed that up with an interesting tidbit of information:
Apparently, the New York Knicks are still shopping for a point guard, with around $8-million left in cap space.
It won’t be Nunn, obviously, but perhaps they’ll land a starting point guard before opening night of the 2021 season.
The remaining field still holds options, it’s just a matter of fit and striking a deal.
Remaining Free-Agent Point Guards
Veteran point guards Chris Paul and Mike Conley are returning to their respective teams on lucrative deals, and Kyle Lowry has landed with the Miami Heat by way of a sign-and-trade deal.
With those three off the board, the New York Knicks had to shift their sights onto a secondary tier of candidates.
Lonzo Ball was a member of the Chicago Bulls by 6:01 PM on Monday, and T.J. McConnell is returning to Indiana.
Spencer Dinwiddie, currently sitting in a grey area between landing spots, is outside of their price range.
So what’s left of the point guard market? With Kendrick Nunn off the board as well, the options are thinning.
The top two come from the two Los Angeles teams, and in a starting capacity: Dennis Schroder and Reggie Jackson.
As of 10 PM on Tuesday night, both remain unsigned, and a deal elsewhere isn’t considered imminent by any means.
Jackson is more likely to return to the Clippers than Schroder is to the Lakers, given the Nunn news.
So perhaps they set their sights on the eight-year veteran and former Sixth Man of the Year finalist.
From declining a four-year, $84-million extension to looking for $20-million annually in free agency, his market is a question mark, and there aren’t any teams in need of a point guard with significant cap space.
Is it possible that Schroder would take a one-year deal with the point guard market seemingly dried up?
He’d most certainly be an upgrade over Elfrid Payton, who became progressively worse last year as the season went on.
Schroder averaged 15.4 points, 5.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game with the Lakers in 2020-2021.
He’s most certainly a name to watch for the New York Knicks, with point guard a very apparent priority.
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Free Agent PG Chooses to Sign with Lakers Over Knicks: Report