Here we go again.
Related: Ughhhhhh.
It’s not every year the Knicks have cap space. Rare is the offseason they actually have it. If they’re supposed have it, they tend to pull the trigger on a cap-clogging deal (see: Carmelo Anthony in 2011). If they do have it, they dream wild dreams—whimsical ambitions that typically consist of them being spurned by their first and second and third targets before signing Amar’e Stoudemire for an inexplicable $100 million.
This upcoming summer, for the first time since 2010, the Knicks are going to have cap space. It had to happen at some point. And when it does, assuming team president Phil Jackson doesn’t do the unfathomable and bilk the Knicks of their financial wiggle room, they will go after serious talent upgrades. Among those they pursue will inevitably be Marc Gasol of the Grizzlies, who, incidentally, is a first-rate fit for the famed and failing triangle offense.
Will the Hawks’ Paul Millsap be on that list too?
He certainly won’t say no.
From the New York Post‘s Marc Berman (special thanks to Hoops Habit):
The Knicks will have plenty of cap space and one edge in coach Derek Fisher being a former teammate of Millsap’s with the Jazz in 2006-07.
”There’s always some potential here [in Atlanta] for sure,’’ Millsap told The Post before the Hawks swept the home-and-home Monday. “But I’m trying not to think about it, trying to put it as far in the back of my head as possible until the end of the year and see what happens.’’
Asked about playing in New York, Millsap said, “Anywhere could be an option. But my loyalty right now is in Atlanta. Free agency is free agency. When it happens, I’ll weigh my options and see where I’m at. But I’m happy in Atlanta right now.’’
I repeat: Ughhhhh.
This will somehow be mistaken as Millsap loving the Knicks or the Knicks themselves planning on chasing Millsap. But that’s not what this is. This is typical pre-free-agency bullshit. No player will rule out signing with the Knicks at this point. Tobias Harris jumped through the exact same hoops as Millsap here. New York is leverage. Even if you’re not interested in signing with the Knicks, or they’re not interested in signing you, they’re still leverage. Other suitors see them as a legitimate threat based on market size alone. Considering them—even if it’s a fantastic facade—should, in theory, help players net more money.
As for whether the Knicks would actually target Millsap, don’t bank on it. Price aside, he doesn’t appear to fit their flawed scheme. He would be a nice complement to Carmelo Anthony in smaller lineups where they both rotate between the 3 and 4 positions, but the Knicks haven’t been embracing those combinations to start 2014-15. It’s unlikely they invest tens of millions of dollars in a stretch 4 when they don’t properly use the one they already have (Melo).
Courting Kevin Durant will also come into play. With the salary cap set to explode, the Knicks should have an opportunity to land a star in each of the next two summers, ending with Durant in 2016. It’s doubtful they jeopardize any of that long-term flexibility for a player like Millsap or Harris.
And that’s that.
Until the next one of these questions is asked…on Friday…when the Knicks face the Jazz…who have Enes Kanter entering restricted agency.
Ughhhhhh.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com.
