Knicks Daily Roundup 4/27: The Case for Considering Kevin Love, Linsanity Back, and more
-There are a lot of ways that the Knicks can improve next season, but one idea that could be the most frightening is trading for Kevin Love. The former NBA champion has more than $90 million owed to him over the next three years, and while many Knicks fans would groan over a move like this, our own Jonathan Macri laid out the case for Love. I think the Knicks should stay far away from Love, but Macri makes a good point in his article, saying "Kevin Love may not be the answer, but asking the questions about whether he could be a help are valuable in and of themselves."
The Knicks have been bad for a long time, but it's not just because they aren't acquiring the best players. They haven't had the right processes either. Leon Rose should leave no stone unturned when attempting to pull this franchise out of the gutter.
-Our own Alex Wolfe returned with the next piece in his "Keep or Cut" series analyzing what the Knicks should do with their veteran players in 2020. This time, he wrote about whether the team should bring back Taj Gibson. The 34-year-old may not be as productive as he once was, but Gibson provided intangibles to the team by taking Mitchell Robinson under his wing. Gibson has a team option for a little more than $10 million next season.
-In yesterday's roundup, we discussed the report that starting on Friday May 1, NBA teams in states that have eased stay at home orders will be re-opening their practice facilities for players. On Sunday, governor Andrew Cuomo said that the lockdown for New York wouldn't end until after May 15. While this would insinuate that the Knicks wouldn't benefit by the NBA's ruling, Marc Berman of The New York Post reported that players on teams located in some of these states could be helped out. This would mean if a New York player is quarantined in a different state that eases stay at home orders, they could potentially use the practice facilities of the state they're located in. There's still uncertainty for what this means in regards resuming basketball, but at least some Knicks will be able to work on their game.
-Linsanity is is making its triumphant return. MSG Network has been airing re-runs of historic Knicks games since there are few live sports on, and they will finally highlight Jeremy Lin. MSG will run Lin's most memorable games this week, starting on Monday. While Lin only played 35 games in a Knicks uniform, some fans consider his run during the 2011-2012 season as the fondest Knicks memory of the past two decades.
-Berman also reported that current Knicks' general manager Scott Perry is still expected to be making decisions for the 2020 NBA Draft. This was expected but perhaps put into question when the Knicks hired Brock Aller to be part of the front office. There's still no guarantee that Perry is kept long term by the Knicks new regime. Rose is understandably in a tough position, trying to build a front office during the coronavirus crisis, but his current line of thinking could hamper the Knicks down the road. If Rose has Perry draft three very important top-38 picks for the Knicks and then lets him go after, it would make little sense. It's been rumored that the draft will be pushed back a couple months, so everything is still in flux, but Rose has to navigate these dangerous waters so the Knicks don't keep repeating the same mistakes.
-Wonder what your favorite Knicks are up to in quarantine? Our own Lauren Russell has you covered. She wrote a social media check-in to see what the players have been doing to pass the time. You can read about the many ways Knicks players are giving back to the community during these trying times, how much they love "The Last Dance" documentary, and much more in this peak into their lives.
-The Knicks SI 2K20 Tankathon Tournament is underway. If you haven't been following, all Knicks SI writers were tasked with drafting a team from Knicks players in NBA 2K20 with the goal to have the worst squad possible. First up, we had Jonathan Macri's team take on David Vertsberger's team in the opening contest. In a battle of Kevin Knox vs. Mitchell Robinson, read more to see how the losing team stumbled its way to just 73 points and a ticket to the semifinals.
-This year's NBA Draft will be unlike any we've seen before. But while fans will simply watch a virtual draft on TV, there's plenty happening behind the scenes that's out of the ordinary. SNY's Ian Begley spoke with TCU's Desmond Bane about how the entire draft process has been during these unprecedented times. It's an interesting interview that gives insight into how teams are preparing, as well as the perspective of a prospect. Bane is a big guard who has the ability to shoot and defend. He's been scouted by the Knicks and could be available for either their late first round pick or early second round pick.
