The New York Knicks took the NBA by storm this season and blew completely past all expectations for them. They finished the year as the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 41-31 record. Now, it appears that they could look to make a splash in free agency this offseason by pursuing Portland Trail Blazers impending free agent guard Norman Powell.
Over the last couple of years, the Knicks have been trying to make a splash via trade or free agency. They have failed to do so and the franchise has been struggling to move forward. Julius Randle’s development into an All-Star was exactly what the team needed to be able to convince free agents to come to town.
In an article shared by Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the Knicks were mentioned as a team expected to pursue signing Powell this offseason in free agency.
New York could pose the biggest threat to lure Powell away from the Pacific Northwest, as Thibodeau is considered a noted fan of the swingman.
Powell has had a big season split between the Toronto Raptors and Trail Blazers. He has showed off an elite three-point shooting ability and has been able to create his own shot consistently. Those are skills that the Knicks could use.
He ended the year averaging 18.6 points per game to go along with 3.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists. Powell shot 47.7 percent from the floor overall and knocked down 41.1 percent of his three-point attempts. Those numbers show why the Knicks should absolutely look to pursue Powell in free agency.
No one knows what kind of money it will take to sign Norman Powell this offseason. However, the Knicks are going to have some money to spend. If they want to bring in a scoring wing to add more three-point shooting, Powell could be the route they choose to go.
Needless to say, it will be interesting to see what ends up happening this offseason with Powell. He should have a long list of offers to choose from to play the next chapter of his career. New York would be a very hard team to turn down, especially with the success they had this season.
Expect to hear quite a few rumors come out surrounding Powell ahead of free agency. Don’t be surprised if the Knicks are mentioned in quite a few of them.
