Hm, how do I put this lightly? The New York Knicks stink. Look at any major team ranking and you're bound to find the Knicks near the bottom. Points? Dead last. Opposing points? 21st. Field goal percentage? 28th. Turnovers? 17th. The list goes on and on.
Needless to say, Phil Jackson's first year calling the shots did not go as planned. But at least there is some hope of restocking this morbidly depleted roster in free agency.
Trading away Iman Shumpert and JR Smith midseason while waiving a few others saved roughly $33 million all told this year. Depending on how much the salary cap rises this offseason, the Knicks could have upwards of $34 million in salary cap space.
I know this sounds familiar: cap space + free agency super star = playoffs. New York fans have been burned all too often by that pipedream. But nabbing a quality player is still possible.
"There is strong speculation [Detroit Pistons big man Greg] Monroe will sign with either New York or Boston," Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times wrote.
Monroe, 25, averaged 15.9 points and 10.2 rebounds while posting a stellar 21.26 player efficiency ranking last year. What's better is that his scoring prowess down-low would fit well in Jackson's triangle offense.
"He can score down there," Charley Rosen, Jackson's confidant and former longtime Albany Patroons assistant coach, said of Monroe. "He's big, can hold his ground in the post, is left-handed, which holds an advantage to do unexpected things. He can establish position, has good hands and he's a pretty good passer. He'd be a great fit."
The Celtics, with a likely minimum of $20 million in salary cap space and probably much more, will be strong contenders for Monroe and other top tier free agents. Not only do they have some solid young building blocks in place and a quality head coach, but the Celtics also have a horde of valuable first-round draft picks over the next few years. If I'm a free agent deciding between the two teams, Boston appears to be the much more attractive suitor at the moment.
But never underestimate New York's ability to spend money and woo.
