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In the words of coach Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks are considering the July 29 draft for “the wings and the shooters.”
They have one among them who performed admirably in their 41-31 season. But they could lose him to a divisional free agency rival if they don’t strengthen each other, The Post has learned.
According to an NBA source, two teams in the Atlantic Division, the Celtics and the 76ers, are interested in Knicks swingman Reggie Bullock, who started all season as a goalie or small forward.
The source said the Lakers, for whom Bullock played in 2018-19 alongside LeBron James, also have Bullock on their roster. Interestingly, a report surfaced on Wednesday that the Lakers will try to lure Chris Paul to Los Angeles. Paul and Bullock are both originally from North Carolina and are close.
Bullock’s preference is to stick with the Knicks, but he’ll likely command the full mid-level exception of $ 9.23 million. A source believes Bullock, who turned 30 in March, will seek a three-year deal.
The Knicks are still on the hunt for the next brightest novelty and will explore their free agent options as well, but have a genuine interest in bringing Bullock back.
The Knicks don’t have to use their ceiling space to do this as they have the Early-Bird rights to Bullocks. Therefore, they can exceed the salary cap to sign it. The Knicks are eligible to give him a first year starting at $ 10.3 million, pending the NBA audit. This number is more than the full mid-level exception. However, they must first reach the salary cap before making this offer.
One problem is that Bullock’s performance in the playoffs was a disappointment. In Game 3 in Atlanta, he didn’t score a goal. But in the regular season, Bullock was rock hard, and Thibodeau often called him “our unsung hero”.
Bullock has been one of three players this season to shoot at least 44% from the field, 40% from the 3-point field and 90% from the free throw line – based on a minimum of 100 attempts at 3 points and 50 free throws. Of the other two who did, Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving, Bullock had the better plus-minus.
However, this is the time of the year for the front office to do their shopping with their cap space. Thibodeau is known to have one yen for former Raptors / Blazers shooting goaltender Norman Powell, who, as expected, withdrew from his contract. He’ll be looking for a nearly $ 20 million deal per – just like another wing on the Knicks’ radar, Kelly Oubre.
If the Knicks lose Bullock, they would be more likely to attempt to match a modest offer to keep Frank Ntilikina, a restricted free agent. According to a league source, the Knicks haven’t ruled out bringing back their 2017 lottery pick selected by Phil Jackson, even though Thibodeau barely played it last season.
The Knicks still appreciate his versatility as a playmaker and defensive guard wing specialist, and he will be on display Sunday for the France team against the US Olympic team.
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