The New York Knicks are preparing to make noise in free agency this upcoming offseason. The team is in need of big names and major roster improvements if they have any hope in improving sooner rather than later. While the Knicks are preparing to have plenty of cap space this summer, they could always use more, which is putting certain players in jeopardy of leaving.
Derrick Williams is one of the many players on the Knicks' roster that might not be with the team after this season. The Knicks brought on Williams in free agency last year with the intention that he would be a starter. The team signed the forward to a two-year contract with the season year being a $4.5 million player option. Williams admits that with all of the changes happening within the Knicks' organization he might not be back.
"Seventh coach in five years," Williams said. "Three coaches last year in Sacramento. So that's five in two years. It's tough, man. At the same time, it's a business. You got to know that heading into the season.''
Part of Williams' doubt regarding his future stems from his lack of playing time. The forward was expecting to be a starter for the Knicks, but instead Kristaps Porzingis became a breakout star and took the veteran's minutes. Williams has been reduced to a bench player at most this year. The forward could easily opt out and sign on to a team that will use him more.
"I don't think I'm frustrated because I'm not playing," Williams said. "I'm frustrated because we're losing. Granted, we all want to play more. That doesn't mean we're going to win. For sure I'm frustrated. I want to go out there and play more. I want to win. That's the main thing."
Williams is not the only player that has doubt surrounding his future with the Knicks. Jose Calderon could be out in the offseason as well. The point guard has struggled since his arrival in New York, and this season has been no exception. Dropping the point guard and Williams would give the Knicks $27.5 million in cap space for the summer. New York has already been linked to the Mike Conley chase, which means Calderon is expendable.
This has been a difficult few seasons for the Knicks. Interim head coach Kurt Rambis has been left with the decision of trying to win games that will not mean anything or develop the young talent on the roster for the future. Players like Porzingis and Jerian Grant are expected to take things over after this year. That has left the Knicks to lose more than win, as Carmelo Anthony admits he is not happy with the state of the team. Dropping Williams and Calderon in favor of bigger names could help change all of that in the future.
"It's been trying. For me to remain the same, remain positive throughout this whole situation, it's definitely challenging from that standpoint," Anthony said. "It is a test to me to see if I could get through this and stay strong throughout this situation, this whole process. So it has been challenging from that standpoint."
