The Knicks are not wasting time looking ahead to the 2021-22 season, and how they can improve a 41-31 team that earned a Top 4 playoff seed.
Just days after reports surfaced that the Knicks have inquired about Damian Lillard’s availability, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports that the team has “mutual interest” with Warriors small forward Kelly Oubre Jr.
From Berman’s report:
According to one source, there is mutual interest between Oubre and the Knicks. The Knicks are one of the few teams who can offer him more than the $9.5 million mid-level exception. Oubre was drafted by the Wizards in 2015 at No. 15 and was traded to Phoenix, where he scored 29 points with three steals against the Knicks in a January 2020 game.
The Knicks need more 3-point shooting/athleticism at that position. While RJ Barrett showed progress from deep, he’s still not as good a finisher at the rim as he should be, according to analytics percentages. Scouts believe he doesn’t protect the ball enough.
Oubre Jr., 25, has been on three teams in his five NBA seasons, but could fit the Knicks as a “3-and-D” wing to complement Barrett and the frontcourt of Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson. Oubre struggled early in 2020-21, starting 2-for-30 from beyond the arc for the Warriors, but the 6-foot-7 wing ended up shooting 31.6 percent from deep.
The Warriors want to keep Oubre Jr., but he would likely be headed for a reserve role if he stays with a Golden State team that will welcome back Klay Thompson next season.
The Knicks’ situation on the wing with Barrett is in flux headed into 2020-21, as Alec Burks and Reggie Bullock are free agents – although the team retains Bullock’s early-Bird rights and can go over the cap to re-sign him – and Kevin Knox, who still has one guaranteed year on his rookie deal, fell out of favor with coach Tom Thibodeau and played sparingly this season, despite hitting 39.3 percent of his triples in limited time.
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