With training camps less than a month away, basketball season is inches closer. With the offseason largely settled, Knicks I still have some open questions
Here are three things they should consider as the preseason approaches:
Is Ivan Fournier Play for this team?
As one of New York’s key signings in the 2021 season, Fournier appeared to be a key role in the rotation, a sentiment supported by his breakout 2022 season. After a rough start last season, Tom Thibodeau He benched him in a huge turnaround that steered the season in the right direction.
He’s played in just 14 games since mid-November, either in garbage time or due to an injury spree, shooting 28.1 percent from three. Many expected Fournier, whose contract expires next summer, to be traded by now.
Yet the Knicks have kept him so far, with the loudest trade talk of the man himself. Meanwhile, he tore up the FIBA World Cup, giving him credit to remain as an emergency wing.
Can they convince Fournier to stick around even if he doesn’t get consistent minutes? His contract is valuable as an expiring salary filler in a blockbuster trade, the kind the Knicks are trying to build.
The alternative is to trade with him, which may come with a choice. New York could waive him to allow him to sign elsewhere and use up a roster spot, but that would be a waste.
Either way, this needs to be resolved before the season starts, unless they want a disgruntled veteran in their locker room.
where is it Emanuel Quickley plugin?
Sixth Man of the Year runner-up and big leap forward this year was Quickley, a third-year guard who went from electric shooter to all-around combo threat. Whether as a reliable part of the rotation or a trade asset, the Knicks want to secure him for a long time after that breakout season at age 24.
Quickley is entering the fourth and final year of his rookie deal, after which he can start a new extension or opt into restricted free agency. New York is likely to sign him to a new contract like their other top prospects and rotation pieces, but with him eligible on July 1 and the rest of their summer deals likely to be completed, where does he stand?
SNY’s Ian Begley believes that will happen in October, closer to the regular season, and Quickley is said to be asking for something around $20 million per year. The Knicks don’t have to haggle too much, and the relationship looks strong, so hopefully it’s just timing and prioritization that keeps the deal going.
Is effective RJ real?
Fans have been waiting for the star’s breakthrough for a long time RJ BarrettIn four NBA seasons since the Knicks drafted him third overall, he’s shown a lot of skill in different dimensions. He was never able to put it together for a full season, teasing and teasing fans with flashes of brilliance.
Latest samples? A promising and hot FIBA World Cup postseason.
Barrett’s three-game stretch to seal New York’s first-round series vs Cleveland Cavaliers He averaged 22 points per game on 56 percent shooting from the field, which he followed up with a good streak against eventual Finals rival Miami Heat. He’s been lights out at FIBA, including a 31-point game in 13-14.
If that’s true, and Barrett is ready to bring that efficiency full-time, the Knicks may not need the star trade they’ve been pursuing. Barrett is the X-factor in their season, and if he consistently takes shots while doing some of the other things we’ve seen him do, New York could look to contend.