Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”838481″ player=”23231″ title=”5%20ideal%20Kawhi%20Leonard%20landing%20spots%20during%20NBA%20free%20agency” duration=”121″ description=”Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is set to hit free agency after declining his player option for the 2021-22 season.While rumors have persisted that Leonard will re-sign with Los Angeles, that no longer seems to be a foregone conclusion. The backdrop here being the torn ACL he suffered in this year’s NBA Playoffs and the unlikelihood that Leonard will suit up at any point during the 2021-22 campaign.” uploaddate=”2021-08-02″ thumbnailurl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/snapshot/838481.png” contentUrl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/sd/838481.mp4″]
The New York Knicks were able to add veteran wing Evan Fournier and re-sign guard Derrick Rose during the first day of free agency.
However, it can easily be concluded that the opening of NBA free agency was not a success for front office head Leon Rose and Co.
New York entered Monday with a glaring need at point guard. Its brass also doesn’t believe that Rose has it left in the tank to be a starter-caliber player given the wear and tear on his body. With the free-agent market dwindling big time, the Knicks are apparently turning their attention to Los Angeles Lakers point guard Dennis Schroder.
This information comes to us via Marc Berman of the NY Post and includes an anecdote that Schroder was demanding $25 million annually when the market opened up.
In addition to the Fournier and Rose deals, New York re-signed veterans Nerlens Noel and Alec Burks. It now has roughly $8 million to spend under the NBA salary cap. As for Schroder, he’s been met with a cold market after some major struggles in his first (and likely) only season with Los Angeles.
As Berman noted in his report, Schroder is not a good three-point shooter. He hit on a mere 34% of his attempts from beyond the arc last season, which represents the guard’s career mark.
In terms of a fit with New York, the team has capable three-point shooters. Adding Schroder to the mix would be more about play-making ability on offense and tremendous defensive capabilities out on the perimeter. In fact, it could make sense given what we saw from New York’s in-house candidates in terms of hoisting up the three-point shot last season.
There’s a scenario here that suggests Schroder could be a good fit for the New York Knicks on a team-friendly deal. Given how the market has dried up in just two days, it might be the best end result for both sides.