Knicks Offseason Primer

With yesterday's announcement that the Knicks will pick up Chauncey Billups's $14.2 million option for next season, their offseason options have become severely limited. Thanks in large part to the lucrative contracts of Billups, Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks have approximately $60 million in committed salary for next year. Last year's salary cap was just $58.5 million, and with a new collective bargaining agreement on the way and the league griping about teams losing money, next year's cap will likely be lower.

There won't be any big free-agent signings this summer a la Stoudemire, not with all eyes fixed on summer 2012, when Billups's contracts comes off the books and Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Dwight Howard hit the market. But the team can still make use of the $5.8 million mid-level exemption to pick up one or two bargain free agents, and they'll have a mid-first round pick in the draft.

What will they do? It's too early to tell, though there are reports that GM Donnie Walsh is looking to bring back Wilson Chandler, who was shipped to Denver in the Anthony deal. While Chandler would give the Knicks a reliable swingman and a defensive stopper to guard Paul Pierce, LeBron James, Luol Deng and the Eastern Conference's other small forwards, he would be fighting for minutes because Anthony and Stoudemire are fixtures at the small forward and power forward positions. Can Chandler accept a bench role and not repeat the disappearing act he just pulled off in Denver (4.8 ppg in the Nuggets' 4-1 first-round series loss to Oklahoma City)? I say yes -- he liked the New York limelight and was visibly affected by the trade.

But what SHOULD the Knicks do? For that, let's turn to Knicks season-ticket holder, aficionado and general superfan Matt Belsito:

Let's start with the draft. The Knicks should be targeting size in the draft, and this is perfect year to find it. Either of the Morris twins from Kansas [Marcus and Markieff] should be able to come in and compete on the glass and defensive end, and I have a feeling that if one is available that is the direction that Walsh will choose to go. There are also a lot of intriguing names towards the end of the first round/second round bubble. Kenneth Faried is Dejuan Blair 2.0, and NBA execs are starting realize that size is not the only factor that goes into rebounding. Faried is a monster on the glass, and should be able to hold on his own on the low block. He'll almost certainly be available when the Knicks pick. The question will be: is it too early?

I'd also like to see the Knicks purchase a pick late in the first round (often times teams will outright sell their pick for $3 million, the max allowed by league rules). There are some intriguing names that fit the Knicks' style of play: I wouldn't mind taking a chance on someone with a winning pedigree like Kyle Singler. Other interesting first round bubble guys: Nolan Smith, Duke point guard; JuJuan Johnson, Purdue power forward; Vernon Macklin, Florida power forward (my personal sleeper pick in this draft).

On to free agency. This paragraph is really contingent on the league not eliminating the midlevel exception. With only around $6 million to play with and no real talent available at that price, my move would be to sign [Milwaukee Bucks shooting guard] Michael Redd. I know the guy hasn't played since the Clinton administration, but shooters shoot, and this guy can straight stroke it. For the veteran minimum (usually somewhere around $1.3 million) this is a chance I'm willing take for a guy who could be a 10 point a game scorer off the bench with the ability to stretch the floor for Melo/Amare. With the remaining funds I would target just one player: [Utah Jazz forward] Andrei Kirilenko. This guy screams: "I'm a perfect fit for the Knicks!!!!!" A flexible defender who can guard shooting guards, small forwards and power forwards with ease and at a high level, "AK47" has been in the playoffs on multiple occasions and has a gorgeous wife. He would be great in transition, if Billups's corpse can move that fast, and he gives coach Mike D'Antoni the flexibility to go small (Billups, Landry Fields, Melo, Amare, AK47) or big (Billups, AK47, Melo, Amare, Ronny Turiaf). Kirilenko is basically a rich man's Jared Jefferies. He has had problems with management in Utah, and there is almost no chance they bring him back.