The lottery Tuesday night ruled out the New York Knicks landing Karl-Anthony Towns or Jahlil Okafor in the 2015 NBA draft, meaning team president Phil Jackson must turn to free agency this summer to find a much-needed big. New York's projected salary cap space for next season has it linked to just about every potential soon-to-be free agent out there, but that doesn't mean the team is in contention for every player. Below is a breakdown of the Knicks' chances of signing each talented big who's eligible for free agency after the season, including: Kevin Love, Marc Gasol, LaMarcus Aldridge, Roy Hibbert, DeAndre Jordan, Brook Lopez and more.
*UFA - Unrestricted free agent / RFA - Restricted free agent / OPT - Player option*
-Power forwards and Centers-
Kevin Love (OPT)-
There's a chance, largely because New York's projected cap space and its advantage of playing in a big market. All reports indicate the power forward is on the fence about staying in Cleveland because he's uncertain about his role there. He wants to feel like an integral part of the team, which he currently isn't, and he doesn't sound like the biggest fan of the Cavaliers' offense. He's been linked to New York before. If I had to bet, though, I would say Love does the risky move of playing out the final year of his deal - it gives Cleveland one more chance and sets him up to become a free agent in 2016, when the cap is supposed to increase significantly.
Marc Gasol (UFA)-
No chance. Every report indicates Gasol wants to re-sign with Memphis. Although he said last month he hadn't ruled out signing with the Knicks in free agency, remember he was talking to New York reporters. I very much doubt Gasol would come out and flat out say, "No, I have no intention of coming here."
LaMarcus Aldridge (UFA)-
It sounds like you can rule out Aldridge staying in Portland, but that doesn't mean he's coming to the Big Apple. The Knicks will definitely try to sign him and have already been linked to him, but the latest report pegs San Antonio, Dallas and Cleveland as his top three preferred destinations. Sorry Knicks fans.
Roy Hibbert (OPT)-
Unlikely. His player option has either gone under the radar or people have just lost interest in him following a subpar season. Pacers president Larry Bird asserted Hibbert would opt into the final year of his contract, and I believe it. Not because Bird said it, but because Paul George is now healthy and Hibbert probably knows the 2015-16 season will be the last chance Indiana's core - Hibbert and longtime teammates George, David West and George Hill - has of winning a championship together.
DeAndre Jordan (UFA)
Jordan was once a lock to re-sign with the Clippers, but reports - one about a rift between him and Chris Paul, the other about his frustrations with the team - make it seem a lot less likely to happen. I could see Jordan being swayed by New York's big market, a max-level deal and the chance to be a No. 2 guy, but he's reportedly "extremely interested" in the Dallas Mavericks.
Greg Monroe (UFA)-
Monroe is the likeliest to sign with New York in free agency. If the reports are accurate, Monroe and the team have a strong mutual interest in each other. One report even claimed a Knicks-Monroe deal was all but signed. Jackson would certainly go with a Gasol or an Aldridge over Monroe, but he risks spurning the Pistons rim-protector if he waits too long to make an offer.
Brook Lopez (OPT)-
The biggest question here is whether Lopez will exercise his $16.7 million option with Brooklyn. On one hand, he's not going to make that kind of money for one season anywhere else. On the other, Lopez is injury-prone and playing on an expiring contract is risky. My bet is Lopez, confident after coming off a strong season, trades in money for years and goes after a multiyear deal. New York was linked to him last month, and the fact Lopez is unlikely to get an offer worth more than $12 million annually puts him right in the Knicks' price range. The 27-year-old may want to play for a more playoff-ready team, but hey, it'd certainty be an easy move if he signed with New York.
Omer Asik (UFA)-
Talk about an under-the-radar name. Asik's salary for this season is $14.9 million, but that's only because of the weird way Houston structured his contract before eventually trading him to New Orleans. Before this season, Asik made $5 million annual. His free agency will probably come down to money. Things have worked out well for him in the Bayou and the Pelicans have a bright future, but it's uncertain how much New Orleans would be willing to pay to keep him. Asik is a defensive anchor, the type of player Jackson likes. The next question is if the Knicks could lure him with that $10 million to $12 million annual salary, or if they'd even want to. I think an Asik-Knicks deal could be possible, if Jackson can't land a more versatile big.
Paul Millsap (UFA)-
Millsap will undoubtedly have suitors if he tests the market, but it's hard not to see him re-signing with Atlanta and even harder to see the 30-year-old power forward choosing the Knicks over any of the more playoff-ready teams out there.
Al Jefferson (OPT)-
He's struggled with injuries over the last two seasons, but he's a difference-maker when healthy. He's 30 years old and after missing the playoffs with Charlotte, it's well within the realm of possibility he opts out after the season and tests the market. I could see New York reaching out to him, but I doubt anything would come to fruition.
-Small Forwards-
Tobias Harris (RFA)-
Reports indicated Harris and the Knicks have a mutual interest in each other. Reports also indicate Orlando will likely match any offer sheet Harris receives. Maybe Orlando is bluffing and New York can sign him for $12 million or sign him to a deal like Chandler Parsons-Mavericks one, but would it be worth it? Jackson's priorities are getting a rim-protector and a point guard.
DeMarre Carroll (UFA)-
This journeyman found his niche with Atlanta, and his breakout season, which has carried through into the playoffs, puts him in line for a substantial pay raise this summer. New York has been linked to him, with one report claiming coach Derek Fisher is a big fan of the defensive-minded forward. Carroll has said the Knicks would be one of the top teams he considers in July, but he was also telling that to New York media. The ball is in Atlanta's court. Carroll has thrived under Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer, and if the Hawks want to pay him, I don't see Carroll leaving.
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The Knicks' priorities could shuffle, depending on how the draft on June 25 plays out. Given the Knicks' No. 4 pick and the scarcity of talented point guards this summer, Jackson's top priority in free agency will likely remain finding a rim-protector.
Players with options must notify their teams of their decisions before the end of June. NBA free agency officially begins on July 1.
