Knicks Rumors: Courtney Lee Top Shooting Guard Target

New York Knicks Rumors: With Joakim Noah reportedly in the fold, the Knicks are setting their sights on shooting guard Courtney Lee.

New York Knicks rumors are coming in rapidly, as they are looking to be very aggressive in the early going of NBA Free Agency. The Knicks are already closing in on a deal with free agent center Joakim Noah, as the framework of a four-year, $72 million deal is being hammered out.

With the Knicks looking to have filled their big hole at center, their next biggest need is at shooting guard. The Knicks currently have zero shooting guards on the roster, and it was expected to be a position they attacked early in free agency.

The Knicks have been connected to a number of free agents prior to free agency beginning, with names such as Kent Bazemore, Eric Gordon, Kevin Martin and Evan Turner being tossed about. Bazemore looks like he may price himself out of the Knicks range, but Gordon and Turner were two players that the Knicks were interested in.

But, it looks like the Knicks have set their sights on a specific player to fill their need at shooting guard, and it is Courtney Lee.

The pursuit of Lee by the Knicks was first reported by Steve MacMahon of ESPN.com, who said that the Sacramento Kings are also going to get into the Lee sweepstakes early on.

The Knicks and Lee will be meeting Friday morning, as he has emerged as their top free agent option at shooting guard.

Lee would be an excellent addition for the Knicks and fill a gaping hole at shooting guard. He will help on both ends of the court, as he can knock down three-pointers effectively, making 38.4 percent of his three-point attempts in his career.

More from Knicks Rumors

• Kenny Atkinson is the New York Knicks coach of the future
• New York Knicks management continues to let fans down
• New York Knicks need to avoid the Kawhi Leonard rumors
• New York Knicks: What they should do with the third pick in the 2019 draft
• New York Knicks: Players who can help them win the offseason

In addition to being a strong three-point shooter, Lee also brings it on the defensive end of the court. He would slide in perfectly between Derrick Rose and Carmelo Anthony, as he complements them on both offense and defense.

Offensively, Lee will help space the floor with his three-point shooting prowess and plays excellent off the ball with a high basketball IQ. Defensively, he can handle defending the best wing player on opposing teams, saving Anthony from having to chase around players on the perimeter.

The thing to keep an eye on here, as it is with any deal the Knicks make, is the years and money that they offer. The offer reportedly on the table for Noah shocked many people in it’s length, as he has been injured the past two seasons and is already 31-years old.

Next: 30 Greatest Players In New York Knicks History

Lee will also be 31 years old once the regular season rolls around, so it will be interesting to see how many years he is offered by the Knicks, in addition to how much money he would receive. With the deals being reported thus far in the early going, it would not be surprising to see Lee land a deal that pays him between $12-15 million annually.