Dateline: June 2020: The NBA has released the schedule for the resumption of the 2019-20 season. The Knicks are one of the teams judged not to be good enough to keep playing.
The Schedule
The schedule is as follows. Important dates for Knicks fans are in bold.
- July 9-11: Training camp for the teams invited back to play for the playoffs.
- July 30-Aug 14: Rest of 2019-20 season. 22 teams return and play games to determine their seeding in the playoffs.
- Aug 15-Oct 13: Playoffs
- Aug 25: DRAFT LOTTERY
- Oct 15: NBA DRAFT
- Oct 18: Free agency starts.
- Nov 10: 2020-21 training camp starts.
- Dec 1: 2020-21 season starts.
The Lottery
At this point the NBA hasn’t announced if the Draft Lottery Odds will change; if they remain the same — especially for the 6 bottom teams that did not make the resumption of play and playoffs, the Knicks will get the odds that a team gets who finishes 6th from last. If so, that would mean the Knicks would have:
- 9.0 % chance of #1 pick
- 9.2 % chance of #2 pick
- 9.4 % chance of #3 pick
- 9.6 % chance of #4 pick
- NO chance at #5 pick
- 8.6 % chance at #6 pick
- 30% chance of #7 pick
- 21 % chance of #8 pick
- 3.7 % chance of #9 pick
- 1.4 % chance of #10 pick
The President, GM, & Head Coach
New President Leon Rose hasn’t talked to the NY Media yet since taking the job in March. No press conference; no nothing.
My suspicion has been from the beginning that Leon Rose was brought in specifically to go get elite free agents like Greek Freak, and that Scott Perry would be retained as GM to handle the roster. That appears to be the case, as Scott Perry has been named as the ongoing GM.
My hope was that Mike Miller would be retained as coach — as he did a great job on offense and defense in the partial season he got to coach last year. At this point, the rumors are that Rose is interviewing at least 9 people for the head coach job — many of them former clients at his agency. That is disappointing.
Miller’s chances to retain the job dim day by day. The leading candidate at this point, according to Mike Berman of the NY Post is Tom Thibodeau — again a former client at CAA.
Free Agency
With the big fish lined up for summer of 2021 (aka Greek Freak), it is anticipated the Knicks will not make a big splash in this off season’s free agency — but just replace select players they will not exercise the club option on for the 2-year deal they signed them to last summer — see roster below.
That means the Knicks will again be looking to add ‘lesser’ free agents to a 2-yr-with-club-option-for-2nd-year contracts. One player that the Knicks are reportedly interested in is power forward Christian Wood of the Detroit Pistons.
The Players
The Knicks had several players signed to 2-year contracts with club option for the 2nd season — it will be up to GM Scott Perry and new VP of Operations Leon Rose to decide which of those players to offer a second season to. With that said, the roster looks like this:
- C: Mitchell Robinson — looks like he will be a star.
- PF: Julius Randle — guaranteed one more year of the 3-year contract, club option 3rd year.
- PF: Kevin Knox — under contract for this coming year.
- SG: RJ Barrett — looks like he will be a star.
PG: Elfrid Payton — just turned 26; one of the better ‘young’ point guards in NBA; makes only $8 million/yr. But signed to 2-yr contract, 2nd year is club option. If Knicks draft an elite point guard, Payton may or may not be gone. They could certainly keep Payton to hold the job as the draftee will be a rookie, and trade Smith. They also have to figure out if Ntilikina is a starting point guard. We’ll see
Reserves:
- C: Taj Gibson — COULD BE GONE. Knicks have the club option to retain him or not this coming year
- PF: Bobby Portis — COULD BE GONE. Also signed a 2-yr contract, with Knicks holding option for the 2nd year (this coming year). We’ll see
- PG: Frank Ntilikina — under contract for this coming year. Looked terrific at the end of the season — finally showing confidence and the ability to be an excellent 6th man in the NBA at least. Is he a starting point guard? Not so sure about that but we’ll see.
- PG: Dennis Smith Jr — under contract for this coming year. Looked terrible last year most of the year. Bad decision maker. Can play Excellent defense and is mercurial athletically.
- SG: Allonzo Trier — COULD BE GONE. Unsigned for this coming season. Is a free agent.
- SG: Damyean Dotson — COULD BE GONE. Unsigned for this coming season. Is a free agent.
- SG: Wayne Ellington — Signed 2-yr deal and Knicks hold club option for the 2nd yr — this coming year.
- PF: Kenny Wooten — Currently a free agent but it is expected Knicks will sign the slam dunking/shot blocking phenom to another year.
- SF: Ignas Brazdeikis — Lit up Westchester; didn’t get much of a chance with the big club. It is expected Knicks will give him another 1-year contract.
- PG: Kadeem Allen — COULD BE GONE. Also a free agent. We’ll see if the Knicks sign him.
- SF: Maurice Harkless — COULD BE GONE. Becomes a free agent now. Made $11 million last year
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