The New York Knicks entered free agency hoping to land one of the best pure shooters on the market.
Luke Kennard, a career sniper from deep, seemed like a dream fit.
Instead, they watched him sign a one-year, $11 million contract with the Atlanta Hawks, a price tag that pushed New York out of contention.
It’s a blow for a team looking to add reliable spot-up shooting to keep up with the NBA’s three-point heavy style.
Kennard would have been perfect for Knicks’ spacing needs
Kennard is a career 43.3% shooter from beyond the arc, with last season’s 8.9 points per game coming mostly on smart, efficient looks.
His quick release and ability to move without the ball would’ve unlocked even more space for Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
It’s the type of addition that turns good teams into true contenders, like adding nitrous to a well-oiled engine.
But at $11 million, Kennard was clearly outside what Knicks president Leon Rose could stomach given their tight financial wiggle room.
Knicks pivot quickly, adding Clarkson and Yabusele
Even though they missed on Kennard, the Knicks front office wasted no time finding other ways to upgrade their rotation.
They pounced on Jordan Clarkson, grabbing the 32-year-old scoring guard on a veteran minimum deal after Utah surprisingly cut ties.
Clarkson gives them instant offense off the bench, able to create his own shot and run pick-and-rolls, taking pressure off Brunson.
They also secured stretch big Guerschon Yabusele on a two-year, $12 million contract, adding more floor spacing and frontcourt depth.
Clarkson’s creation and Yabusele’s shooting give Knicks flexibility
Together, Clarkson and Yabusele transform New York’s second unit.
Clarkson averaged 16.2 points last season while hitting over 36% from three, and he can handle the ball when needed.
Yabusele, meanwhile, brings a unique blend of size and perimeter touch, but mainly just pure hustle.
For a team desperate to stretch the floor and lighten the offensive load on their stars, these two represent smart, budget-friendly moves.
- Knicks linked to veteran play-making point guard in free agency
- Knicks: Women’s NCAA champion head coach impressed team, but not considered a finalist in head coaching search
- Knicks to sign former 76ers center to two-year deal
Knicks still need one more sharpshooter to complete the puzzle
But even after these signings, it’s obvious the Knicks still crave another spot-up three-point threat to truly round out their offense.
Kennard would have been a near-perfect fit, the kind of specialist who camps in the corner and punishes double teams.
New York may have to hunt for another bargain or dangle assets in a trade if they want to get that last piece.
!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“has-featured-video”,”true”)})}();