Knicks Could Steal 2 Cavs Reserves in Free Agency After Sweep

Two possible free agent targets for the Knicks are Cavalier bench players. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Knicks organization and its fans all have their eyes set on the elusive Larry O'Brien trophy, and rightfully so. It is their first Finals appearance since 1999, and it would be their first championship since 1973. While the front office led by Leon Rose has this series as their main focus, it's also part of their jobs to at least start thinking about the upcoming offseason.

The draft is less than a month away, with the beginning of free agency not long after that. That means unlike the 27 other teams who's seasons have already ended, the Knicks won't have that much time to assess needs, and plan once their season comes to a conclusion.

They've already started to workout some potential draft targets over the last few weeks, and there's no doubt that they've already begun to look at potential free agent options as well. Two of them happen to be on the team that the Knicks just swept.

Why Keon Ellis could be smart low-cost target for the Knicks this offseason

Keon Ellis of the Cavaliers is a name that has long been linked to the Knicks. While he saw very sparing minutes against New York this playoffs, he's still a very solid player, especially in the regular season.

He provides very good point-of-attack defense, specializing in being a nusiance on the perimeter with his 6-foot-9 wingspan and racking up deflections. He also touts respectable three-point shooting as a career 40.7% from deep, fitting a very valuable 3-and-D mold on the wing.

If the Knicks can't find a way to convince Landry Shamet to return, decide to get something for Deuce McBride instead of potentially losing him for nothing after next season, or don't bring Jordan Clarkson back, they could opt to take a buy-low chance on Ellis.

Those are three big "ifs", and very unpopular "ifs" given not only the pivotal roles those players have played this season, but also due to their immense popularity among the fanbase. But even if those things happen, there's still one glaring issue. And that comes in the shape and form of Mike Brown.

Ellis played under Brown during his season and a half in Sacramento, and he couldn't quite become a major factor. He played just 4.4 mpg in his rookie year, and averaged less than 15 mpg in the first half of the following season before Brown was fired.

Now, players and coaches can grow, so maybe Ellis could flourish as a Knick. But it does seem a bit hard to see Ellis wanting to come play under Brown. We have seen crazier things happen though, and given his defense, he could be a backup option for a Knicks team that may have to make some tough decisions this summer.

Thomas Bryant is an obvious Knicks center option in free agency

Another Cavalier that could be a potential option for the Knicks is a reserve New York fans have become way too familiar with: Thomas Bryant. The backup big had been relatively irrelevant in Knicks fans' minds until last season, when he came off the bench and scored 11 points in 13 minutes in what ended up being the last game of New York's season as Bryant's Pacers advanced to the Finals.

Bryant, like Ellis, may not be a major playoff contributor, but if they need a reserve big to eat up some minutes in case Mitchell Robinson or Ariel Hukporti is out of the picture, he could be useful.

Bryant doesn't really having a true calling card, which is something a lot of reserves often need. He's not the best defender, he's not an elite rebounder, nor is he a great shooter, or a true vertical threat. That's likely why he's struggled to secure a large role during the postseason.

But over the course of an 82-game regular season, his solid rebounding numbers, ability to stretch the floor with a league average three-point shot, and finish plays around the paint could be a nice addition if New York gets frugal with its center rotaion.

The front office, as previously mentioned, is likely prioritizing 1. winning it all, and 2. keeping this core together. But as we've seen too often, there's a lot of factors that go into an offseason and things could change on a dime. This opens the doors for smaller names like these two to be seriously considered.

A lot would likely have to happen before the Knicks pursued either candidate, but both have appeal to a team that may be faced with a few notable departures and a lack of cap flexbility to replace them. Given how meticulously Rose's front office has planned ahead in the past, they very well could already circling names like Ellis and Bryant on their board of backup plans.