The New York Knicks were one of the most surprising teams in the NBA this season. Not only did they make the playoff but they clinched the 4th seed, even though they eventually lost in the first round to the Atlanta Hawks.
Tom Thibodeau’s team showed a lot of grittiness in the defensive end and found some nice rhythm in the offense. Then again, it was clear that they crave an upgrade at the point guard position and another scoring threat.
That’s why, according to multiple reports, they’re going to be one of the most aggressive suitors for Cleveland Cavaliers’ Collin Sexton, who’s expected to be moved this offseason and even before the NBA Draft.
NBA Rumors: Knicks Will Aggressively Pursue Collin Sexton
“The Knicks are the most aggressive trade suitor for Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton, sources said. Sexton is eligible for his rookie extension this offseason, and with one year left on his deal, it allows Cleveland to continue to be patient in constructing the roster,” reported Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The Knicks have enough cap space to give Sexton the contract extension he’s due after his rookie year expires, meaning that they would even be able to pursue other players even if they get him:
“The Knicks would likely have to give Sexton a similar contract extension if they acquired him, but getting him early would give them a major advantage this offseason. While Sexton is going to be expensive down the line, his cap hit for the 2021-22 season is only around $6.3 million,” added Sam Quinn of CBS Sports.
“The Knicks can create well over $50 million in cap space this offseason, and acquiring Sexton would hardly dent that flexibility. In fact, it would allow the Knicks to fill their biggest need without even touching their space, opening up some very interesting possibilities,” the report concluded.
What Can The Knicks Offer For Collin Sexton?
The Knicks have some promising players and Draft assets that could be on the table to get a player like Sexton. The Cavaliers are rebuilding and are expected to take either Jalen Suggs or Jalen Green in the upcoming Draft, meaning that he’d be the odd man out in the backcourt.
So, given what the Cavaliers need and what the Knicks have to offer, we can expect any package to be centered around sophomore forward Obi Toppin, Kevin Knox, and one of the Knicks’ first-round picks.
via Evan Dammarell
While Knox has been quite underwhelming – to say the least – he’s still pretty young and looked like one of the most talented players in his class. As for Toppin, he’s just not going to get enough minutes under Tom Thibodeau, but was one of the nation’s biggest sensations during his last year at Dayton.
Whether the Cavaliers will take this deal or not is yet to be seen, but what seems pretty clear at this point is that the Knicks will heavily pursue any available starting-caliber point guard this offseason.
