Getty Jimmy Butler, New York Knicks
As the New York Knicks recover from their second-round playoff exit at the hands of the Miami Heat, their front office will be looking at ways to build upon an impressive season.
Considering the growth within the Knicks roster this year, Leon Rose and William Wesley will have a tough decision to make – continue building the roster slowly, and trust their development, or go hunting for another star to pair with Jalen Brunson.
According to Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, New York could decide now is the time to add another star, with Jimmy Butler being an ideal target.
3 Eastern Conference Finals trips in 4 seasons calls for some “Himmy” Butler highlights 🐐
Jimmy Butler on one foot vs the New York Knicks:
24.6 ppg
7.2 rpg
6 ast
1.6 spg
1.2 bpg
55.2 TS%
Some may say, the lights weren’t bright enough 👀
“Even with Miami advancing to the Eastern Conference Final, consistency has been an issue in recent years, and the aging roster could use a shake-up,” Buckley wrote. “Dealing Butler while he is still in his prime could allow the squad to build around Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro…Swapping in Butler for Barrett (and a bunch of picks and others prospects) would net the Knicks a lockdown defender, tireless worker and high-level shot-creator for himself and his teammates.”
Evan Fournier Expects to be Traded
Following the Knicks season coming to an abrupt end, veteran guard Evan Fournier spoke with Brian Lewis of The New York Post, where he revealed that he expects to be traded this summer.
Evan Fournier convinced his #Knicks run is over: ‘Why would you bring me back?’ t.co/3TCOiMbvC8 via @nypostsports
“There’s no way they’re going to keep me. I would be very surprised if they did,” Fournier said. “So we’ll see. It’s obviously not in my hands…My season has been over for a very long time, actually. This officially is the end, but my season was over a long time ago.”
Fournier saw the floor 27 times this season, producing 6.1 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while shooting 33.7% from the field and 30.7% from deep.
Jalen Brunson Discusses Knicks Loss to Miami
When speaking to the media following the Knicks’ May 12 loss to the Heat, Jalen Brunson discussed the difficult way in which his team’s season came to an abrupt end.
“I like the way we fought this past couple of games. Down two with the ball [in my hands], I gotta give us a chance to even get a shot attempt, and that turnover is just unacceptable,” Brunson said. “So yeah, it’s tough.”
Throughout his six games against the Heat, Brunson amassed a stat line of 31 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game while shooting 50.4% from the field and 34.7% from deep on 8.2 attempts per game.
Given Brunson’s incredible postseason performances, it’s clear that the Knicks will continue to view him as a building block for the future and will look to surround him with players that accentuate his talents.
Now, the Knicks will take some time to gather the data from their postseason run before making a decision on how they wish to move forward with their current roster. There’s no doubt that we will see some roster movement in the coming months, but the question remains regarding the significance of those moves.