With new guards Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker, the New York Knicks are primed for a playoff run in 2022 with hopes they can reverse their poor fate from last May.
Leon Rose and the front office took an aggressive approach to the offseason after the team was embarrassed in the playoffs by Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks.
After a lucrative free agency, they also locked in All-Star forward Julius Randle into a four-year extension.
And they’re not done yet.
Any team headed for the postseason is an automatic, prime candidate for the buyout market, where veteran talent will hit free agency just ahead of the playoffs.
But they may not have to wait that long.
One veteran, an unrestricted free agent, reportedly has his eyes on the Big Apple.
15-year veteran and career 41% three-point shooter, JJ Redick, reportedly has his eyes on the New York Knicks.
Or the neighboring Brooklyn Nets.
Redick Has ‘Desire’ to Land with Knicks, Nets
In some of his latest reporting for Bleacher Report, Paul Millsap, JJ Redick and the New-Age Veteran Free-Agency Market, Jake Fischer assessed the remaining free-agent market.
As the headline would suggest, it’s come down to a number of proven veterans in the twilight of their careers.
JJ Redick and Paul Millsap, both free agents, may each wait out the start of the season before signing somewhere.
Fischer is reporting that the latter’s desire to end up in either Brooklyn or New York is known league-wide:
Redick’s apparent desire to land with the Knicks and the Nets has long circulated in the NBA.
He even went as far as to suggest that Redick may opt for retirement if a deal with either team doesn’t come to fruition:
Several executives have even speculated the veteran could retire if he does not come to terms with either franchise.
The 37-year old guard will have a larger market regardless, simply based on his proficient shooting from three:
Yet there likely will be other suitors interested in adding Redick’s bench shooting come January as well.
Whether or not he will acquiesce, and sign out of his comfort zone, remains unclear.
But if it comes down to it, one club has a clear-cut lead over the other, should a JJ Redick sweepstakes take place.
Will Redick Prioritize Fit or a Championship?
In the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks, veterans like JJ Redick could see two different opportunities.
Playing next to James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving certainly gives you a better shot at next year’s title.
But playing with Julius Randle and the Knicks allows them a chance at a contributing role on a young, hungry team.
Redick, going into his 16th career year, could see a lesser role on the Nets as more appealing at age 36.
He also resides in the Borough, likely some minutes away from the Nets’ practice facility, and ultimately, arena.
Expect there to be a strong push from the Brooklyn brass for Redick’s services.
Especially given Brian Lewis’s latest reporting that a Paul Millsap signing is “unlikely,” as of today.
Maybe it all depends on how long Redick opts to hold out, which determines his eligibility with the Brooklyn Nets…
…and potentially leads him to joining up with the New York Knicks. Or vice versa.
With 49 days to go until the 2021-2022 season’s start, expect rosters for next year to start to take a clearer picture.
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