Knicks Rumors: Not High On Free Agent Point Guards

New York Knicks Rumors: The Knicks could use an upgrade at point guard, but there are a number of options they seem to have already crossed off the list.

New York Knicks rumors will be rampant in the coming weeks as they attempt to get into the 2016 NBA Draft. After that, the focus will turn to free agency, where the Knicks will be looking to upgrade their roster and improve upon their 32-win 2015-16 campaign.

The one position the Knicks are sure to look to address is the point guard position. It has been a problem area for the Knicks for many seasons, as they are routinely over matched at the position night in and night out.

Last season 34-year old Jose Calderon was given most of the minutes at point guard, something that cannot happen again this season with the new offensively philosophy that Hornacek is planning to work in with the Triangle offense. Rookie Jerian Grant wasn’t given many opportunities, but he is someone the Knicks will give a look to this summer.

Also on the roster is Tony Wroten, whom the Knicks signed and did not play last season. Despite appearing in eight games with the Philadelphia 76ers last season, the Knicks decided that Wroten needed more time recovering from his ACL surgery. He could be an x-factor for the point guard position, but the Knicks have a lot of question marks at the position currently, and would be smart to add an option during the summer.

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Unfortunately for the Knicks, the point guard class isn’t very strong this summer. Mike Conley is probably the best of the bunch, but he will have plenty of suitors and the Knicks may not be willing to give him the max contract that he desires.

After that, Rajon Rondo is the next best option. Rondo is supposedly the No.1 option that Carmelo Anthony would like to see signed, but the Knicks front office does not seem as high on him. According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, sources say the Knicks aren’t too high on Rondo because of his propensity to hang onto the ball too much.

That is something that other people have said as well, as Rondo somtimes freelances and breaks away from plays that are called. Rondo has been called selfish before, but not in the fact that he shoots the ball too much but that he hunts out unnecessary assists when a simple pass for a hockey assist would suffice.

Rondo is the quintessential point guard in the sense that he enjoys passing the ball, but his best asset is sometimes his worst enemy as he tries too hard to get assists sometimes. Rondo is not the only free agent the Knicks are reportedly not high on according to Berman’s sources.

In addition to Rondo, it sounds like the Mets will be avoiding Indiana Pacers point guard Ty Lawson. Lawson has a litany of off the court issues, and it sounds like that is something the Knicks will be avoiding as it presents too big of a risk.

The other point guard the Knicks do not seem to have interest in is Jeremy Lin. Lin, who made his name with the Knicks during the 2011-12 season when Linsanty became the talk of the town and basketball world. But, a reunion is not expected, as the Knicks believe his defense is too gaping.

While he may struggle on that end of the court, Lin would represent an upgrade for the Knicks at point guard. His attacking style would be a nice fit for Hornacek, but the chances of him coming back to the Knicks seems to be slim-to-none.

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The Knicks are desperate for a point guard upgrade, and while they might not be interested in those three, there are other options they could look to. Brandon Jennings, D.J. Augustin and Mario Chalmers are three players that the Knicks could take a look at as well.

Regardless of whom the Knicks sign, the point guard position will be a topic of discussion throughout the summer, especially with the work that Hornacek has done with them in the past.