As the Knicks consider their options at the trade deadline and look ahead to the summer, the front office is prioritizing the addition of an athletic wing, sources tell Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. According to Bondy, one player on the team’s radar is Lakers swingman Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
The idea of trading for Caldwell-Pope and his $17.75MM cap hit probably isn’t practical for the Knicks, since KCP will be an unrestricted free agent in a few months. The club is more likely to target the fifth-year wing in free agency this offseason, Bondy writes.
As Bondy points out, the recent jail sentence Caldwell-Pope served for violating probation will be a red flag for the Knicks and other potential suitors. However, if New York’s front office does its homework on KCP and is confident that off-court issues won’t be an ongoing problem, the club could have the opportunity to land the UFA-to-be at a discounted rate, given that legal history.
Caldwell-Pope, who will turn 25 next month, failed to land a lucrative long-term deal during the 2017 offseason and settled for a one-year contract with the Lakers. He has played fairly well in L.A., posting career-best rates in a few categories, including 3PT% (.357). However, given the lack of teams projected to have real cap room in 2018, it remains to be seen whether KCP will have better luck securing a big payday this time around.
While the Knicks could create a chunk of cap space this summer, player options for Enes Kanter, Ron Baker, and Kyle O’Quinn complicate that equation — if all three players pick up their options, New York’s cap room would all but disappear, leaving the club with the mid-level exception. As for the Lakers, they’ll have plenty of flexibility to re-sign Caldwell-Pope if they so choose, but they figure to focus on higher-profile targets when free agency opens in July.
Do they figure to get KCP at the price of the mid-level exception? From their books for next year, it doesn’t seem they have a bigger/better way to open up cap room to sign KCP otherwise. He’ll get more elsewhere.
A lot could still change between now and July (trades, stretching Noah, etc.), but yeah, I agree that getting KCP for the MLE seems unlikely.
Why would the Knicks want him?? He’s just a younger, less effective version of Courtney Lee. Knicks need a real SF going forward.
The Knicks are paying THJ & Lee 30mil/yr as SGs already with 2nd round pick Dotson waiting his turn they don’t have the money or need another one LOL!
He’s so overrated. Might as well keep Lee who is on an ok contract
Knicks need a real SF, to me he’s too small he’s a 2. Knocks already have been running with a 2 at the 3 with Lee and Hardaway. They need a 3 with good size who can stretch the floor and defend, someone like a Trevor Ariza.
God no don’t sign him. I’d be so disappointed as a Knicks fan.
Please stop. We already overpaid a volume shooter with tunnel vision in THJ. Lakers overpaid KCP because they gave him only 1 year. We overpaid THJ because … well … Steve Mills did it before hiring the GM. More definitively, the Knicks have no cap space. Even if all 3 of those guys opted out, using the cap space would mean renouncing rights to all three, including Kanter (who is far more valuable than KCP). Plus, Baker is not opting out of a close to 5 mm contract (another Mills beauty).
I personally had higher expectations from KCP this year but I know we still have like half a season but I don’t think he will get some crazy big contract but I guess I could be wrong.