NBA Rumors: James Dolan Expects Knicks To Have ‘Very Successful Offseason When It Comes To Free Agents’
The New York Knicks are set to miss the Eastern Conference Playoffs for the sixth consecutive year. But when the 2018-19 NBA season is over, the Knicks are expected to be aggressive in chasing superstars that could help them return to title contention. After dumping the lucrative contracts of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee to the Dallas Mavericks before the February NBA trade deadline, the Knicks have created enough salary space to offer two max contracts in the 2019 NBA free agency.
After suffering another disappointing season, some people have doubt if the Knicks will be an attractive destination for incoming free agent superstars in the 2019 NBA offseason. However, in a recent interview with YES Network (transcribed by NBC Sports), Knicks owner James Dolan expressed strong confidence that big names will be joining the Knicks next summer. Dolan said that the Knicks will have a “very successful offseason when it comes to free agents.”
“We hear from people all the time – from players, from representatives – who wants to come. We can’t respond because of the NBA rules, etcetera. But that doesn’t stop them from telling us. And they do. And I can tell you from what we’ve heard, I think we’re going to have a very successful offseason when it comes to free agents. The thing about the team now is that it’s very young. It’s the youngest team in the NBA. You take a look at the some of the players that we have. And they won’t be the centerpiece of the team.”
Cleveland tried to recruit Kevin Durant after the 2016 NBA Finals https://t.co/2MlTrZAGt5
— Warriors Wire (@TheWarriorsWire) March 13, 2019
James Dolan’s recent statements are not pure boast since in the past months, several NBA superstars, including Kyrie Irving of the Boston Celtics and Kevin Durant of the Golden State Warriors, were rumored to be interested in signing with the Knicks in the 2019 NBA free agency. Irving has been linked to New York even before the 2018-19 NBA season started, while according to a previous Inquisitr article, the Knicks engaged in a “straight-up meeting” with Durant in January.
The successful acquisition of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will undeniably make the Knicks a team to fear in the Eastern Conference next season. Durant and Irving are still in their prime and expected to dominate the league in the next couple of years. With James Dolan not considering any of their young core as a potential centerpiece of their team, there is also a huge possibility that the Knicks will also consider engaging in a blockbuster deal next summer. If they succeed to land the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, the Knicks could use it as the main trade chip to acquire Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans.
