Patrick Beverley, Playoff Foe Among Knicks' 'Sleeper' Free Agent Picks
It's hard to go to sleep after the New York Knicks' most recent NBA campaign. one that saw them reach landmarks they hadn't sniffed in a decade. That caffeinated state should extend to the offseason, as the Knicks have made little attempt to hide their desires to bring in another established star.
Some dreamy selections, however, linger among the sleeper free agents.
A list of such names from Bleacher Report includes the polarizing Patrick Beverley, recent playoff foe Max Strus, and crosstown rival Yuta Watanabe. New York won 47 games and its first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers but many saw the six-contest failure against the eighth-seeded Miami Heat in the conference semifinals as a disappointment, leading some to believe a roster revamp is on its way. The Knicks have been connected to some major names but Beverley, Strus, and Watanabe would be strong contributors on a budget.
Jalen Brunson's emergence perhaps kept the Knicks out of the in-season race for Beverley after he was removed from the Los Angeles Lakers' roster at the trade deadline. The tenured guard endured a tough season between Los Angeles and Chicago but Zach Buckley makes a case that his lingering skills on defense could draw the Knicks' attention.
"Maybe he just needs a change of scenery to get himself back on track; and if that's the case, then that statistical decline could be a blessing in disguise, since it's likely to keep his contract cost low," Buckley declares. "If Beverley just rediscovers his touch from range—33.9 percent the past two seasons, 39.3 percent the six previous campaigns—he could be a tone-setting defender who won't dominate the basketball and will convert a lot of the clean looks he gets."
The Knicks are much more familiar with the talents of Strus and Watanabe: the former is currently competing in the NBA Finals for the Heat while the other stands as a rival in the yearly matchups against the Brooklyn Nets. Both players, Buckley writes, could help the Knicks warm up their icy outside shooting.
Strus helped end the Knicks' season with a strong performance from the outside, reaching double figures in all but one of the six games, which included a postseason-best 19 points in Miami's Game 3 victory in South Beach.
"While he's more than a shooting specialist—he can attack a hard closeout off the dribble and isn't a lost cause on defense—that's the skill that will get him paid," Buckley says of Strus. "Unless this playoff run dramatically moves his market (it shouldn't, since his postseason shooting slash is only at 41/33.3/79.2), that skill won't cost what it would have a year ago."
Strus has struggled in the ongoing NBA Finals against Denver, shooting less than 22 percent from deep over the first three games. He did, however, tally 14 off the bench in the Heat's Game 2 victory on Sunday night, their lone victory in the set thus far. Strus has a chance to help tie the series on Friday night (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC).
Watanabe struggled to find consistent minutes in the Nets' rotation (averaging 16 per game in his first year in Brooklyn) but likewise made an impression with the extra point on the line.
"The 28-year-old is a 6'9", 215-pound ball of energy with enough hustle and athleticism to make plays at both ends," Buckley said. "While he has never shot the three-ball with much volume, he is coming off a season in which he hit 44.4 percent of his long-range looks and a ridiculous 51.4 percent of his corner treys."
"If the Knicks trust his shooting, then they should give chase."
Though the Knicks have made their intentions to financially flirt with several available stars, their desire to keep Josh Hart could have them going to the bargain bin. There are far worse fates, though, than spending the offseason on a budget, especially with talent like this around.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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