A new era began in New York while most of the NBA was on the bubble, as Leon Rose was hired as team president and ultimately chose Tom Thibodeau as the new manager. It goes without saying that the Knicks have not always been good for a long time and, at first glance, next season doesn’t look too promising either. Harkless came to New York via the Marcus Morris trade, a deal that also gave the Knicks an extra first-round pick. Harkless and Portis futures, which has a team option worth $ 15.75 million, will be determined in free agency.
As for the area that Rose and Thibodeau will have to tackle during the off-season, it’s the point guard position. Which of the three options currently on the roster do the Knicks believe to lead the way in this reconstruction? Or will the front office try to address this issue via the free agency or the project? Two of the three point guards, Dennis Smith Jr. and Frank Ntilikina, are still in their rookie arrangements and the latter has spent most of his time with the franchise playing off the ball. Elfrid Payton was the most productive of last season’s three, averaging 7.2 assists per game, but is he the long-term answer?
Having two firsts gives New York some flexibility from a commercial point of view. But if the Knicks were to consider drafting a point guard, doing so with the twenty-seventh overall pick would likely be the course of action. Outside of LaMelo Ball it’s hard to see another point guard making the top ten, with wings appearing to dominate that part of the draft.