Knicks, the analysis on players added

New York has signed some veterans of short-term deals, presumably to maintain financial flexibility. With the signing of Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel, Austin Rivers and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to one-year deals, New York has kept its cap sheet clean for the summer of 2021. According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, New York may have $ 70 million in space next offseason. That number could change, of course, if they decide to re-sign Frank Ntilikina and Dennis Smith Jr.

Some of the Knicks believe they have signed Burks, Noel and Rivers, that they have found three veteran players who can play multiple roles and are willing to accept different roles in a rebuilding club.

It will be interesting to see if / how Rivers, Burks and Noel affect the playing time of some of the returning young Knicks. (Same goes for Julius Randle and Toppin).

New York has decided not to send the goods needed to trade for Russell Westbrook or Chris Paul. Instead, Rose and Co. brought Elfrid Payton back on a one-year contract. New York had an interest in Jeff Teague and DJ Augustin. The club also did some homework on the point guard’s situation in New Orleans before the Pelicans completed their offseason exchanges, according to SNY sources. But the Knicks ended up bringing Payton back. Competition for the starting point guard position is open, although it is safe to assume that Payton enters the field as the favorite to get the job.

If Payton is next season’s starting point guard, the Knicks will have a main guard who mostly defended well, but is a 29% career 3-point shooter. The line-ups with Payton and Randle lacked space, which Tom Thibodeau and the coaching staff will have to bypass. (Thibodeau, by the way, turned out to be New York’s largest off-season acquisition.)