New York Knicks
It’s not often the Knicks are considered a dark horse. New York usually makes its presence and intentions clear — we knew they wanted both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving last year, it was not a secret.
But as it pertains to Gordon Hayward, the team actually most connected to him in media reports is the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers reportedly have interest in Hayward, and they’re so often linked to the Butler product that they cannot be considered a dark horse.
In the link in the previous paragraph (from SNY) the Knicks are mentioned in the context of Victor Oladipo, and what a trade of Hayward to Indiana would mean for Oladipo.
But what about Hayward potentially to New York?
The Knicks make sense in that they have ample cap space and they would be able to absorb the $34 million salary that Hayward’s option calls for.
As mentioned, though, some reporters believe Hayward could forego the option altogether.
The Knicks, like the Hawks, need a star player to reach the next level. They have a young nucleus built around RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson, but Hayward would help bring some credibility to such a young roster.
