Knicks Trade Rumors: NY opens up to absorb expensive contracts

Rebuilding the New York Knicks needs resources, and they are reportedly willing to accept a costly separate contract if that’s what it takes.

According to SNY’s Ian Begley, the Knicks – who may have more than $ 60 million in cap room this off-season depending on their decisions with contract options for Bobby Portis, Wayne Ellington, Taj Gibson and Reggie Bullock – “are open to use their space cap to accept undesirable contracts “if it means getting another draft pick or a valuable young player in a trade.

The Knicks have the No. 8, 27 and 38 in the next draft of 2020.

There is a lot of financial uncertainty surrounding the league following the changes necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and teams still don’t know what the luxury tax line will be for the 2020-21 campaign.

Those looking to avoid the tax will certainly be intrigued by New York’s willingness to accept the salary, which could help the Knicks get an asset.

“Going into the 2019 offseason, Knicks officials said they were not interested in using their large cap space to acquire an unwanted contract and draft pick because they didn’t want to acquire a player who didn’t want to stay with the organization.” Begley wrote.

However, new team president Leon Rose may take a different approach.

The team has also hired Tom Thibodeau as head coach and is looking to establish a winning culture that has been missing in recent times. New York hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2012-13 season and is coming out of three straight seasons with less than 30 wins.

There are some pieces to be built by RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson, and the draft represents an opportunity to add more pieces. Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report projected them to swap the No. 8 with the Boston Celtics for the No. 14 and 26, as well as Tremont Waters, in its latest draft.

This would follow the idea that the Knicks are attempting to add as many young assets as possible with the hope of building a long-term contender instead of a marginal one in 2020-21.