Getty Head coach Tom Thibodeau of the New York Knicks motions from the bench.
After their surprising 2022-23 run that saw them finish with the fifth-best record in the Eastern Conference standings and claim their first postseason series win in a decade, the New York Knicks are now looking to build off these successes heading into the new campaign.
While signing Donte DiVincenzo and having fan-favorite Josh Hart opt-in to his 2023-24 option are certainly bound to help in their quest to improve, it goes without saying that this front office may wish to add on a few more pieces to better their odds, and The Athletic’s Fred Katz suggests that veteran Danny Green could be an ideal option worth considering on the open market.
“He’d be an extra wing capable of guarding well and knocking down a 3. He’s a beloved teammate and would bring as much championship experience as anyone else would, considering he has been a starter on three different title teams and has played in 169 postseason games during his 13-year career,” Katz wrote.
Danny GREEN 💵💵💵
Despite coming off an ACL injury that sidelined him for all but 11 regular season games this past year, Katz believes Green could be a valuable piece to add to this promising, yet still rather inexperienced Knicks roster.
Along with his ample championship experience, the soon-to-be 15-year veteran has proven to be a highly efficient shooting threat out on the perimeter, boasting averages of 8.7 points for his career while cashing in long-range attempts at a 40.0 percent clip.
This ability could prove to be of great use for the Knicks who just capped off their playoff run ranking as the worst three-point shooting team in the league with a success rate of just 29.2 percent.
Knicks Could Consider Swapping Evan Fournier for Shooter
If Danny Green isn’t coveted as a possible option to address their shooting woes, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons suggests that the Knicks might want to look into swapping estranged forward Evan Fournier via trade for current San Antonio Spurs sharpshooting veteran, Doug McDermott.
From deeeep 🔥
McDermott is a nine-year veteran who has made a name for himself as one of the most reliable shooters in the association. Since 2019-20, the forward has posted highly respectable per-game averages of 11.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while shooting 48.9 percent from the field and 41.4 percent from distance.
Labeled by Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey as a “more consistent” offensive contributor than Evan Fournier, ridding of the remaining two years, $37.8 million left on the Frenchman’s current deal in exchange for McDermott’s final year with a cost of $13.7 million could also prove to make financial sense for the Knicks as well.
Center Has ‘Yet to Pave His Path’ With Knicks
Soon-to-be third-year big man Jericho Sims has shown flashes of being a solid contributor since entering the association as the 58 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. As a result, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley believes the 24-year-old to be one of the most promising young talents currently on the Knicks.
However, even with this distinction, the writer noted in his analysis of the center that he still has much to improve upon before he can cement himself into a regular role within an NBA rotation.
“Often barricaded behind Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein, Sims has yet to pave his path to consistent playing time. Still, it feels like his NBA identity is already established. The bouncy big man is an active rim-runner who can rebound, protect the paint and finish above the rim,” Buckley wrote.
Though he sports lowly career averages of 2.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and half a block per game for his career thus far, in 2022-23, when receiving 20-29 minutes of action, Sims went on to post solid per-game averages of 5.3 points and 7.0 rebounds while boasting an incredibly efficient true shooting percentage of 73.9.
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Knicks Could Make Run at Veteran Sharpshooter, 3-Time Champion