The New York Knicks are among several teams expected to pursue Washington Wizards free agent Davis Bertans this offseason, according to NBC Washington.
Bertans is also haunted by Atlanta and Phoenix, according to the report, with the Hawks being “particularly aggressive”. However, the Mages have no plans to let the sharp shooter escape easily, as they have reportedly made keeping him in the Washington area a top priority.
The Latvian forward would give the Knicks much needed perimeter shot from the forward position, something that has been missing since another Latvian striker – Kristaps Porzingis – got injured and was eventually traded to the Dallas Mavericks.
Bertans is a career shooter at 41.1% from center, ranking 9th among active NBA players. His effective field goal percentage, which takes into account the value of two-on-three, ranked 13th as best in the league with 59.8% last season.
With several players on the Knicks roster on squad options or unsecured deals for 2020-21, New York can open up to $ 50 million in cap, depending on where the cap falls based on league-impacted revenues due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Bertans decided to skip the NBA resumption in Orlando to protect his health ahead of his expected payday this off-season.
Knicks president Leon Rose is looking to rebuild his new roster around the core pieces of Mitchell Robinson and RJ Barrett. However, neither player is known for his perimeter shots. Robinson has yet to prove he can take a jump shot in an NBA game. Finding a striker who can play around the perimeter to complete Robinson would apparently be a top priority for this front office. It was reported in the early summer that they are looking for attackers who can shoot.