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Free agency.
It is here.
Well, technically not here here ... the contracts cannot officially be signed until July 7. But as of midnight, ET, on Friday, teams can contact free agents. So many meetings!
As for the Knicks, Matt RW broke down their salary cap situation: They will have somewhere between $26 and $30 million, depending on various cap holds on the roster. They currently have a grand total of five players under contract: Carmelo Anthony, Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick Rose, Kyle O'Quinn and Justin Holiday. They need more players.
So who will the Knicks focus on when they go a-courtin'? And which free agents might leave New York? Here's what we know thus far:
Dudes the Knicks called at midnight:
Courtney Lee's first call after free agency started was from the New York Knicks. Phil Jackson called him, according to league source.
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) July 1, 2016
I'm told the Knicks are trying to set up a meeting with Courtney Lee.
— Al Iannazzone (@Al_Iannazzone) July 1, 2016
I'm told the Knicks are trying to set up a meeting with Courtney Lee.
— Al Iannazzone (@Al_Iannazzone) July 1, 2016Dudes the Knicks will meet with:
- Joakim Noah is almost certainly coming, according to just about everybody. He'll meet with the Knicks' bigwigs on Friday afternoon. Supposedly the deal will be in the neighborhood of $18 million, but a new report from the Chicago Sun-Times has the Knicks trying to convince him to bring it down to $15-16 million. This is the latest as of post-midnight Friday morning:
Vertical Sources: Joakim Noah and the New York Knicks are in discussions on the framework of a deal in range of four years, $70M-plus.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2016
That's a lot of years.
- Nicolas Batum ... via phone!
The Knicks will get a phone interview with Nic Batum, who is likely to command max - or near max - money. https://t.co/KAVcEddQvf
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) June 30, 2016
- Evan Turner:
The Knicks are one of the teams that Evan Turner expects to meet with, per league sources.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) June 30, 2016
When it comes to Turner, the front office might want to consider this ...
Hey @PhilJackson11, please don't forget that Evan Turner & Derrick Rose hate each other https://t.co/pXrOsjcRR7
— Joseph Flynn (@ChinaJoeFlynn) June 30, 2016
- Jamal Crawford:
Report: Jamal Crawford to meet with Clippers, Heat, Knicks, Mavericks, others https://t.co/PciXtbpZqG
— Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk) June 29, 2016
- Kevin Durant ... met with Carmelo Anthony!
- Austin Rivers:
Sources: Clippers officials met with Austin Rivers Thursday in Orlando, and Rivers is expected to talk with Knicks, possibly Portland Friday
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) July 1, 2016
Dudes the Knicks are interested in:
- Eric Gordon, who is constantly injured.
- Jon Leuer, 27-year-old power forward.
- Kent Bazemore, though they expect him to be too expensive.
Dudes P&T has profiled:
- Osborn wrote on the merits of Anthony Morrow, Tyler Johnson, Jerryd Bayless, E'Twuann Moore, Mario Chalmers, E'Twuann Moore and Darrell Arthurt.
- Various members of our roundtable discussion advocated for D.J. Augustin, Seth Curry and Solomon Hill.
Knicks free agents:
- Lance Thomas and Langston Galloway (keep 'em both!)
- Derrick Williams
- Arrron Afflalo
- Kevin Seraphin
- Sasha Vujacic
- Lou Amundson
- Cleanthony Early (Knicks didn't issue him a qualifying offer)
Rons:
- Ron