The New York Knicks entered the offseason coming off a season in which they reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000, though they were unable to reach the NBA Finals after being eliminated by the Indiana Pacers.
After their playoff exit, the Knicks made the shocking decision to fire head coach Tom Thibodeau and after a month of interviewing potential candidates, they are expected to hir Mike Brown as their new head coach.
While the Knicks were searching for their next head coach, they also made two moves in free agency as they signed Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele to upgrade their depth.
Mike Brown of the Sacramento Kings.
Mike Brown
© Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
These are two key moves for New York as they addressed two areas of need on their bench, which was a problem for them last season.
New York is still expected to make some other moves in free agency as they have been linked to Russell Westbrook and Ben Simmons, though they have recently been linked to a former star from the Portland Trail Blazers and Milwaukee Bucks.
According to Bovada, the Knicks have the sixth-best odds (+700) to sign Damian Lillard this offseason.
The Trail Blazers are the favorite (+230) to sign him and they are followed by the Miami Heat (+290) and Golden State Warriors (+325).
Of course, the Bucks waived Lillard on Tuesday for them to sign Myles Turner in free agency in a move that shocked the NBA.
Lillard will miss most, or all, of next season due to a torn Achilles that he suffered during the playoffs last season but he should see interest from many teams around the league.
Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) dribbles the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers at Fiserv Forum.
Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) dribbles the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers at Fiserv Forum.
Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
For the Knicks, adding Lillard would be an interesting move due to them already having a star point guard in Jalen Brunson, but the pairing would be a lethal duo on the offensive end.
Despite this, New York will likely hold off on Lillard as they continue to upgrade their bench and chase a championship next season.