Like his free agency, Knicks president Leon Rose played it conservatively Thursday in his first commercial term, with a much smaller trade.
As eastern competitors from Miami, Boston and Chicago strengthen, the Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau will look to fight the Wizards on Thursday and beyond with the same ones he has, unless the Knicks are proactive in the buying market.
Center Andre Drummond tops the list as he prepares a purchase with Cleveland after the Cavaliers were unable to find a deal by Thursday’s deadline.
After negotiating Austin Rivers and Ignas Brazdeikis, the Knicks still have more than $ 14 million in cap and a whopping $ 60 million in the summer.
As reported by The Post that the deadline came in, Rose intends to give it a go this summer.
If they do not sign a player by purchase, the maximum room money is distributed among the players on the Knicks list as a bonus to reach the NBA minimum payroll.
In addition, the Knicks enter draft night with this limit space to potentially facilitate the operation while most teams exceed the limit.
The Knicks have gone back and forth to Drummond, but he is durable, bounces and scores in the center position even though the analytical maves make fun of his big numbers
Drummond is from Mount Vernon, so the Knicks have been on his radar despite reports that the Lakers and Nets are strong leaders. The Knicks also have a financial advantage over the Lakers and Nets in being able to offer much more than the bare minimum with a small guarantee for next season.
Little striker Otto Porter, who was traded to Orlando and could be resigned, would also be a target.
In Thursday’s trade deadline, the Knicks won a second-round pick in late 2021 in their lone trade to make up for the second round they lost to Detroit by Derrick Rose.
But the Knicks ’biggest win was Lonzo Ball, the top guard who stayed in New Orleans instead of being traded to Chicago, which would have controlled his future as a restricted free agent. The Bulls held serious talks with New Orleans.
As reported by The Post, the Knicks didn’t feel like giving up significant assets for Ball if they thought he could sign him in the summer.
Some Knicks goals have been spread elsewhere, as combined guard Victor Oladipo was moved to Miami, where he is rumored to want to sign again this summer. Raptors shooting guard Norman Powell was traded to Portland, but the Knicks could be in play when he was a free agent.
Other targets were Evan Fournier, moved to Boston, and JJ Redick, moved to Dallas.
For Oladipo, the Rockets got Avery Bradley, Kelly Olynyk and a 2022 draft pick swap. The Knicks also had questions about their long-term health, but GM Scott Perry still felt it could be an intense improvement. He no longer calls the shots.
One of the two marginal players the Knicks acquired from the Sixers in Thursday’s trade, French center Vincent Poirier and swing Terrance Ferguson, will likely be given up in anticipation of their success in the buying market.
The Knicks wasted two 15-man roster spots at Rivers and Brazdeikis and the Knicks were able to change them in that deal. Rivers and the Knicks agreed to find a new destination at the All-Star break and have been off the team ever since.