The 2015 NBA Playoffs start this weekend, but for the teams like the New York Knicks, who are on the outside looking in, the offseason might as well have started by now. And what is an offseason without free agency rumors? Nothing but draft speculation, that’s what. And since the Knicks went out and beat the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night against nearly every fan’s wishes, the NBA Draft is looking slightly less exciting.
But lo and behold, here comes Hawks forward DeMarre Carroll, set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, offering a glimpse of hope when speaking in (almost) candid fashion about his potential landing spot this summer.
The New York Post‘s sources claim that Knicks coach Derek Fisher is high on Carroll, and when the forward was asked if he was strongly considering New York as a free agent destination, he responded, “Most definitely.”
Carroll cited his relationship with Fisher and the appeal of Madison Square Garden, and the national exposure that comes with it, as factors in his mind, but he added a crucial caveat: “New York has a lot to offer but at the end of the season, I’ll let my agent do that. We’ll keep our options and hopefully it will work out for the best.”
Fisher is right to be high on Carroll, since his ability to guard quicker wing players (and his comfort with playing a supporting role on offense) would pair him well with Carmelo Anthony, whether the Knicks want to go big with Carroll as an oversized shooting guard, or small with Carmelo at the four. But what makes him so appealing to the Knicks makes him appealing to every other team in the NBA: Everyone wants that 3-and-D winger, and Carroll is something like the prototype.
https://uproxx.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/usatsi_8272996.jpg
The Post predicts DeMarre will draw about $5 million a year, and that seems way too low for a player who shared Player Of The Month honors with the rest of the Hawks’ starting lineup. So when Carroll says he’ll let his agent handle things, all the things Carroll said he liked about New York may not matter if they don’t pony up the big bucks.
Remember, how teams approach the 2015 offseason is largely going to be dictated by setting up for the 2016 offseason, when the salary cap should soar to reflect the NBA’s new TV deal. The Knicks aren’t the only team with an abundance of cap space now, but expect to see more teams willing to flirt with the luxury tax this year, safe in the knowledge they’ll be under it next year.
Of course, it’s still encouraging to hear that a player the Knicks are targeting isn’t running in the opposite direction. But if they don’t blow Carroll (and his agent) away with their offer, the bright lights of New York City might not be enough to lure him to a rebuilding team when contenders will surely be in the mix as well.
