Knicks Rumors: Kent Bazemore To Be Pursued
New York Knicks Rumors: The Knicks will reportedly pursue free agent Kent Bazemore to help fill their hole at shooting guard.
New York Knicks rumors are going to be running rampant in the coming days as NBA Free Agency is almost upon us. The Knicks already made a big move landing Derrick Rose in a trade with the Chicago Bulls, adding a much needed upgrade at point guard. With the trade, the Knicks also opened up a hole at center, and still need to find an upgrade at shooting guard as well.
The center spot the Knicks have some bodies at, as Kyle O’Quinn is already on the roster, Marshall Plumlee was signed as an undrafted free agent, and Willy Hernangomez is expected to be brought over from Europe. With depth already at center, the Knicks do not need to add a big money free agent in the middle.
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The same cannot be said for shooting guard. The Knicks currently have zero depth at the position, as Justin Holiday, whom was acquired along with Rose from the Bulls, is the only player the Knicks currently have that plays most of his minutes at shooting guard.
As a result, that is where the Knicks should place most of their attention during free agency. While the Knicks will try and get in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes, they are still looked at as an unlikely landing spot for the superstar Durant. But, there are some players that they could find to upgrade at shooting guard.
One player that they reportedly have their sights set on his the Atlanta Hawks’ Kent Bazemore. According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, Bazemore is high up on the Knicks wish list this summer.
"According to an NBA source, Bazemore is “not ruling the Knicks out because he fills a need for them at the wing.” But the source isn’t sure if the Knicks will come into play. Bazemore’s intention is to stay in Atlanta. But if it doesn’t work out, Bazemore will have a bevy of suitors, including New Orleans and the Knicks."
The Knicks look like they will have some competition for signing Bazemore, and it makes sense. The athletic 6-feet-5 inch shooting guard plays both ends of the court, as he is asked to defend the opposing teams best player more often than not, and can shoot it offensively; Bazemore is a career 35.1 percent shooter from deep.
He would be an excellent fit for the Knicks at shooting guard, giving the team some much needed spacing in the starting lineup. But, the Knicks could find it difficult to fit him into their salary cap,as Berman cites NBA sources saying that the Knicks could be priced out or simply shut out of the running for Bazemore.
If the Knicks are unable to land Bazemore, there are other options that they could turn to, including veteran Courtney Lee. Like Bazemore, Lee would fill a need at shooting guard, giving the Knicks the defender they need on the perimeter while also presenting the ability to space the floor offensively.
Next: 6 Shooting Guard Options For New York Knicks
It will be interesting to see how the Knicks upgrade at shooting guard, as virtually the whole NBA has money to spend with the salary cap rising. As a result, we will see a ton of money being thrown around as every team looks to make a splash and upgrade their roster.