The New York Knicks have to upgrade the point guard position this offseason if they want to be competitive for the 2021-22 NBA Season.
As I mentioned in my last piece, I will touch on the free agents who the New York Knicks should target this offseason. And which better position to start with than point guard.
For the last decade, the New York Knicks have been searching for the point guard of the future. But, unfortunately, their quest for said point guard has come to no avail. So as the Knicks have been doing the last ten years, they must go back to the well and find a free agent suitable for the interim or longer.
There are some notable free agents for this position. But before I get into my top five, there are some honorable mentions.
Honorable Mentions
Derrick Rose: As I mentioned before, Rose will most likely return. He ran the second unit very well and kept the Knicks in all the playoff games against the Atlanta Hawks. Because of that, there should be confidence that he’ll return. Especially since he’s one of Thibodeau’s guys.
Dennis Schroeder: Even though Schroeder is a decent point guard, he’s known to be inconsistent (except for the one year he played for the Oklahoma City Thunder with Chris Paul III). And having Schroeder as the starter after he was missing in action during the playoffs for the Los Angeles Lakers is highly concerning. Especially for the $100 million contract he’s looking for.
TJ McConnel: He’s a good backup point guard. If the Knicks didn’t want to bring Rose back, they should consider McConnel for his grittiness and team-first attitude.
Chris Paul 3: For how spry Paul has looked, he might be Benjamin Button for all we know. And it probably has to do with how Paul has changed his diet and workout routine. But the “Chris Paul to the Knicks” boat has almost sailed. The only way Paul signs with the Knicks is if he won a ring with the Phoenix, was interested in getting one more big contract before he reties, and Phoenix was reluctant to pay him a lot of money (which wouldn’t be a surprise seeing Robert Sarver’s history). But it is more than likely that he stays out in Phoenix to be close to his home and family in California.
Spencer Dinwiddie: I know some Knicks fans would scoff at the idea of signing Dinwiddie after all the shade he threw at the Knicks last season. But if it’s a one-year prove-it deal after tearing his ACL, the Knicks should consider it. Dinwiddie averaged 20.6 points, 6.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds. That’s not a player to overlook because he likes to drive up his interactions on social media.
New York Knicks’ Top Five Point Guard Options
5. Reggie Jackson
Current Team: LA Clippers
Free Agent Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
2020-21 Statistical Averages: 10.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 45 field goal percentage, 43.3 three-point percentage (1.8 – 4.2 3PA), & 81.7 free throw percentage.
Reggie Jackson would be a decent stop-gap option for the Knicks if they decided to draft a point guard this season or in the near future. But most importantly, Jackson’s game would add a dimension that the Knicks were missing the last two seasons. That is a starting point guard that can adequately score at all three phases.
Reggie shot a 45 field goal percentage and a 43.3 three-point percentage, as I already listed in the beginning. Furthermore, Jackson had a 56.4 effective field goal percentage, which ranked him in the 82nd percentile amongst combo guards. And on top of that, Jackson is a talented isolation scorer, which is why he was in the 78th percentile.
Now, these numbers don’t indicate that Jackson is a walking bucket. Actually, Jackson can be a chuck at times and completely lose focus in keeping his teammates involved. But if there is anything that we’ve learned from watching Reggie during the playoffs (and throughout the years), he can score in crunch time.
Too many times last season, the game was left in Randle’s hands when the shot clock was winding down or when the game got close. Sure, there were moments Burks & Rose helped, but Randle’s shouldered most of the burden. So having Jackson, who is effective in isolation, would help relieve some pressure from Randle so that he doesn’t always have to be the guy.
And defensively, Reggie is okay. He’s not a lockdown defender, but you know that you’ll get effort from him on a nightly basis (which is what defense comes down to for the most part).
The contract to get Reggie on this team would probably be a two – three year agreement with an average value of $8 million – $12 million annually. The reason for that is because he recently had a one-year $2.3 million contract with the LA Clippers, and he played above that value in the playoffs. Also, Jevon Carter, Aaron Holiday, and Kris Dunn made around $10 million total on their multi-year agreements, and Jackson performed better than all of those guys.
4. Kyle Lowry
Current Team: Toronto Raptors
Free Agent Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
2020-21 Statistical Averages: 17.2 points, 7.3 assists, 5.4 rebounds, 43.6 field goal percentage, 39.6 three-point percentage (2.8 – 7.2 3PA), & 87.5 free throw percentage.
Kyle Lowry is another good stop-gap option at point guard. Lowry, just like Reggie Jackson, would be signed with the intent for the Knicks to draft a point guard in this year’s draft or the near future.
Lowry would also add scoring and playmaking. As noted earlier, he averaged 17.2 points, 7.3 assists, 43.6 field goal percentage, and 39.6 three-point percentage with the Toronto Raptors. These are numbers the Knicks haven’t seen from a point guard since Stephon Marbury.
What’s nice about Lowry, though, is that he’s a well-rounded point guard. He can score in isolation, run the pick and roll, and score in transition. And because of his versatility offensively, it helps keep defenses honest because it’s difficult for them to guess what’s coming next.
Lowry’s defense is another aspect that would be great from a lead guard under Thibodeau’s system. Lowry is known to put his body on the line every single night, which Knicks fans can get behind. There isn’t a night where Lowry doesn’t stick to his opponent like glue, draw charges, or admirably defend the post against big men by throwing his stocky body into theirs.
But the overall aspect about Lowry that’s so intriguing is his cerebral aspect of the game. Lowry examines the court at a high level on offense and defense. And having that in your point guard changes a team’s dynamic by light-years (just look at what Chris Paul did for the Thunder and the Suns).
However, the concern about Lowry is his age. He is currently 35 years old and will turn 36 during the next season. So, at some point, Father Time comes knocking at the door, and the level of play starts to decline.
Could it be this season for Lowry? Who knows? But the Knicks take the risk by opting to sign him to the team. I don’t need to remind people of Baron Davis and Jarrett Jack, who were on the older side when they joined the Knickerbockers.
If the Knicks do decide to sign Lowry, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. His contract would most likely be two years between $45 – $55 million (max!) and the second year being a player option.
3. Mike Conley
Current Team: Utah Jazz
Free Agent Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
2020-21 Statistical Averages: 16.2 points, 6 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 44.4 field goal percentage, 41.2 three-point percentage, & 85.2 free throw percentage.
Mike Conley performed very well this season. And it was nice to see that he could bounce back after having a poor outing last year. And it makes sense why he had a down year. He’s spent so much of his career with the Grit & Grind Memphis Grizzlies, so for him adjusting to a new team and system must not have been easy.
Think about it: Conley was on the Grizzlies from 2007 to 2019. Even though he played for four head coaches, he primarily played for Lionel Hollins (4.5 seasons) and Dave Joerger (three seasons). So Conley didn’t have to adjust to new systems that frequently. That’s why Conley bouncing back so well with little time off between the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons is impressive and promising.
Conley would provide his point guard savviness, whether that’s his scoring ability or defensive awareness.
On the offensive side, Mike doesn’t have the deepest bag of tricks. Instead, he’s a fundamentalist that knows how to get to his spots. Whether that’s using the floater, his step-back jumper from any range, or his crafty playmaking ability to get his teammates involved.
Defensively, Conley isn’t a lockdown defender, but he can hold his own. From time to time, you’ll see Conley lose battles against bigger opponents when he’s switched on to them (but that’s a problem for most small guards).
The key to Mike’s success of defensive end is his ability to read passing lanes. He understands how to read the ball-handler’s eyes and can anticipate when to jump the lane.
I feel like I’m going to get heat for having Conley over Lowry in my rankings because 1) so many people love the idea of signing Lowry because of his grittiness, 2) Lowry has won an NBA Finals, 3) Conley has been injured for the last three of the four years, 4) people recently saw Conley miss a playoff series, and 5) he’s never made it to the mountain top.
But here’s my response to that: both Conley and Lowry are close towards the end of their careers, and injury can happen to either one of them. Also, Conley is slightly younger than Lowry so that is a little more appealing. And lastly, Lowry also missed some games this season (even though the Raptors were packing it in towards the end of the season).
As for Conley’s potential contract outlook, it would be a similar structure like Lowry’s.
2. Cameron Payne
Current Team: Phoenix Suns
Free Agent Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
2020-21 Statistical Averages: 8.4 points, 3.6 assists, 2.4 rebounds, 48.4 field goal percentage, 44 three-point percentage, & 89.3 free throw percentage.
Have you watched Cameron Payne in the playoffs? HAVE YOU?! If you haven’t, then you’ve been missing out.
Payne has stepped up and delivered solid performances on a nightly basis as the first guard off the bench. Even when Chris Paul III missed the first two games of the Western Conference Finals because of the COVID-19 Safety protocol, Payne stepped up and delivered as a starter.
Sure, the Suns have a well-balanced roster, so Payne isn’t necessarily putting the team on his back. Yet, it’s encouraging to watch Payne have consistent well-balanced performances in high-stakes games and play at an efficient level. We’ve seen other players in the past perform well in the playoffs and continue to do so the following season(s) (i.e., Fred VanVleet & Jerami Grant).
But there shouldn’t be so much of a surprise that Payne is performing so well in the playoffs. This season he’s been one of the most efficient scorers and tenacious defenders.
On offense, Payne’s counting stats don’t scream that this dude is a bucket. However, when looking at his efficiency numbers, they’re just jaw-dropping – he averaged a 57.5 effective field goal percentage and ranked in the 93rdpercentile amongst point guards. And if that’s not enough for you, take a look at his shooting percentages and the percentiles (highlighted section) amongst other point guards this season.
But what is most intriguing about Payne on offense is his confidence and decisiveness. Once he touches the ball, he knows exactly what he wants to do. Whether that’s pump faking, driving to the rack, and finishing the layup or looking for his teammate on the wing; taking the open three if the defender is sagging off of him, or doing a touch pass to get the ball to his open teammate on the wing or block.
On defense, Payne is consistently giving maximum effort. Whether that’s staying in front of his opponent, jumping the passing lanes, crashing the boards for rebounds, or making quick rotations. And with his top-tiered quickness, he’s able to catch his opponents sleeping when he’s playing defense.
The concern with Payne is that he would transition from a backup point guard role into a starter. Sometimes that doesn’t work out because the talent is much different in starting units than bench units.
Payne is high on the list because of his talent, age, and New York’s ability to negotiate a decent contract. His contract would probably be a two or three-year contract between $10 million – $15 million. That way, if Payne performs, he can get a larger contract during his prime – he is 26 years old.
However, it all depends if he wants to leave an ideal situation in Phoenix as a backup guard behind CP3 or take on the reigns of being in Madison Square Garden being the lead guard. Who knows, he may be the lead guard of the Suns one day (*shrug emoji*).
1. Lonzo Ball
Current Team: New Orleans Pelicans
Free Agent Status: Restricted Free Agent
2020-21 Statistical Averages: 14.6 points, 5.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 41.4 field goal percentage, 37.8 three-point percentage (3.1 – 8.3 3PA), & 78.1 free throw percentage.
I know I said Conley being higher than Lowry would be polarizing, but I can already feel the judgment with having Lonzo Ball as the number one option. But the issue with Ball is rather the cost than his skill set, which is a fair critique, and we will get to that later.
Ball has shown his improvement throughout his years in the league. Although, it may not have been as fast as some would have expected for the former second overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft. But that is Magic Johnson’s fault for drafting Ball so high when he shouldn’t have, and that should be noted when evaluating Ball.
Ball improved his shooting form from when he entered the league, and it’s noticeable because of the increase in his shooting numbers, especially from three and the free-throw line. He jumped from 36 field goal percentage to 41.4 field goal percentage, 30.5 three-point percentage to 37.8 three-point percentage, and 45.1 free throw percentage to a 78.1 free throw percentage. Of course, there is still more work to be done, but for a player who has had three coaches in four years and is still improving his game, that is encouraging.
The best parts of Lonzo’s game is his court vision, solid perimeter defense, good rebounding, and his ability to push the pace. On top of that, Lonzo is also good at playing off-ball as well.
However, the knock-on Ball is that he doesn’t drive to the basket enough to put enough pressure on the defense. And while that is a fair critique that he hasn’t attacked the lane enough in recent seasons, he averaged 7.4 drives per game as a rookie before being teamed up with either LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers or Zion Williamson on the New Orleans Pelicans. So maybe there is some wiggle room to get back to those numbers if he went to a different team.
But even if Lonzo doesn’t attack the lane that much, that may not hinder New York’s offense. On the contrary, if the Knicks continue to run their offense with Julius Randle and RJ Barrett being the focal points, Lonzo’s ability to play off-ball could be beneficial.
So let’s take a step back: remember when for those who wanted Immanuel Quickley in the starting lineup because Quickley could space the floor and Elfrid Payton couldn’t? Ball would not only space the floor, but he’d offer playmaking while playing off-ball, which is what some (if not most) wanted.
Now some will say that it’s not the same because Quickley is a better shooter than Ball. And that is a fair point as well. But even when Derrick Rose was in the lineup, they had to honor his shot even though he wasn’t a knockdown three-point shooter like Quickley.
Also, as Ian Begley pointed out in his latest article, “If the Knicks commit long-term to Randle, they’re committing to the idea that Randle will have the ball in his hands regularly on offense. Based on how Randle played last season, it seems logical that New York would commit to that idea.”
So for those who may want a traditional point guard to run the offense, that may not work. And we also got a glimpse of a conventional ball-dominant point guard when Derrick Rose was in the starting unit, and Randle seemed to be out of rhythm (there were other reasons as well).
Now comes the part that makes Lonzo Ball such a polarizing player. What is the cost to get him? He is a restricted free agent, so New York will either have to outbid the Pelicans or complete a sign and trade. If it’s a straight-up bidding war, the Knicks should not go over $20 million (and even $20 million is a hefty price to pay).
If it’s a sign and trade, then giving a combo of vets and young players that still have potential would be the ideal scenario. So Reggie Bullock or Alec Burks (if either is resigned) and Kevin Knox or Frank Ntilikina (if he is resigned). Any trade package involving a first-round pick for Lonzo should be a no-go.
Conclusion
Some may wonder why players such as Devonte’ Graham, Goran Dragic, or Patty Mills. The reason Graham is that his overall shooting isn’t there just yet, even though his three-point shooting is good.
As for Dragic and Mills, they’re close to the end of their careers and are both backup point guards. So, if the Knicks were to resign Rose, there would be a conflict there.
There are many directions the Knicks can go to address the point guard position, and there isn’t necessarily a right or wrong answer (unless they overpay for anyone, then it’s potentially a wrong decision).
Let us know who you would want the New York Knicks to sign at point guard in free agency in the comment section below or in the social media comments section of where this piece is posted!
