Knicks free up space to pursue Chris Paul and Kyle Lowry

Knicks president Leon Rose is likely to explain Thursday’s night draft and the handling of a media Zoom call, but he’s on a 12-month streak straight without speaking to the press.

No one has given the exact reason for their reluctance, but it’s likely the Knicks’ agent-turned-godfather believes he spoke with the 41-31 record last season that ended the franchise’s seven-year drought. in the playoffs.

According to an NBA executive who spoke to Rose, the Knicks’ most confusing draft night trade – moving the 19th pick for a future heavily protected Charlotte first round – was done in part to save $ 2.4 million. dollars of ceiling space for free agency. They were never going to use their first two rounds, for capping reasons.

Whether Charlotte’s pick is a good trading chip with all of its protections – up to 18 next year, 16 in 2023, and 14 in 2024 – depends on the Stumbling Hornets turning their fortunes back.

But the Knicks do it all with calculated precision – and chief quarterback Brock Aller is behind most of it. The Knicks ultimately drafted two players, uncompromising shooter Quentin Grimes (25th) and uncompromising point guard Miles McBride (36th), who Rose and coach Tom Thibodeau said were worthy of the team’s original 19th and 21st caps at the first round. .

“They got who they wanted when they wanted,” said an NBA executive in contact with the Knicks brass.

And now the Knicks have space for the caps – a lot. Only four teams will enter free agency starting Monday night with significant cap space, and the Knicks will lead that brigade with more than $ 50 million – if and when they have to remove Frank Ntilikina’s cap.

Whether that’s enough to add a star point guard, like Chris Paul or Kyle Lowry, is unclear. Although Suns owner Robert Sarver has given himself some leeway on whether Paul will return to Phoenix, Paul wants to return. If Paul steps down, he could be okay with a new three-year, $ 90 million contract with the Suns.

The Knicks may offer Paul a three-year contract that starts at $ 39 million, but it may not leave Phoenix (who brought him within two wins of his first NBA title) to join his game. former agent, Rose. Paul’s two children live in Los Angeles and are now old enough to relish the Suns’ run to the NBA Finals.

Lowry is another bulldog the Knicks would love to add to a huge two-year contract. But league sources believe the favorites to land the Philadelphia native are the Mark Cuban Mavericks, Pelicans and 76ers (via signing and trade), unless he re-signs with the Raptors.

Even with Lowry and Paul as longshots, the Knicks will have plenty of options – and Thibodeau wouldn’t be upset if Derrick Rose returned in a big role, even if he wasn’t a starter. The Knicks were 11-14 when they traded to Rose, and 30-17 the rest of the way.

Digging deeper, the Knicks have won 69% of the games Rose has played, just 47% when he hasn’t. Thibodeau wants to get Rose back. The Knicks do not have their Early Bird rights and must use the cap space. That’s fine, but internal talks have focused on whether to offer a long-term deal to Rose, who turns 33 on October 4.

The Bulls noticed that Rose looked a bit like the guy who once graced United Center and had an interest in bringing pride back to Chicago’s West Side. Rose’s children and family still live in Chitown, and he already left the Knicks on his first stint with the team in 2016 because he was homesick.

The Knicks could outbid other contenders for Nets Spencer Dinwiddie (who just had ACL surgery at 28), Suns playmaker Cam Payne, Dennis Schroder, Reggie Jackson or even restricted free agent Lonzo. Ball, in which the Bulls are also interested. The Knicks were higher on Ball in February, but he’s on their roster.

There is also the possibility of a trade for Collin Sexton of the Cavaliers or Kemba Walker of the Thunder, although the 31-year-old Walker is aging quickly.

A leading quartet consisting of Rose, Payne, McBride and Luca Vildoza isn’t the worst idea if the Knicks can add another shooter-scorer from a potential roster of Evan Fournier, Kelly Oubre, Devonte ‘Graham and DeMar DeRozan. The Knicks had trade talks with Orlando on the deadline in March over Fournier, who destroyed the United States team last week while playing for France at the Tokyo Olympics.

This Knicks diet has shown a lot of patience and restraint.

Confidence in Thibodeau and the development staff is so high that they believe modest free agent moves will lead to another end of the playoffs. There is still movement to expand the capping space until 2022, when Bradley Beal, Jimmy Butler and possibly Kawhi Leonard reach free agency, or to remain flexible for “The Damian Lillard Sweepstakes” which according to organization, will always take place.

Rose won’t say it publicly, but the Knicks believe they’ll be playing with a lot of house money in August.