The New York Knicks could look to sign someone in free agency with some roster spots still available.
It’s been nearly a month since the start of free agency, but there are still some talented players left without a team that the Knicks could welcome to the Big Apple.
According to Bleacher Report writer Zach Buckley, one of those players could be former Brooklyn Nets forward Lonnie Walker IV.
“Lonnie Walker IV has more than once appeared en route to a substantial pay raise, but it appears that bump will elude him once again,” Buckley writes. “The Knicks should try capitalizing on his seemingly dry market. The chance to hold a prove-it campaign under the bright lights of the Big Apple while simultaneously joining the championship chase could sound awfully inviting.”
Walker, 25, is looking for his fourth team in as many seasons after playing for the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers and Nets. Walker might be more inclined to stay in New York after playing in the city this past season, but this could also be a good move for the Knicks as well as a low-risk, high-reward depth option.
“He is a quick-strike scorer who plays with great energy and jaw-dropping athleticism. His three-point shot comes and goes (35.6 percent for his career), but he’s a tough cover when he has it rolling,” Buckley writes. “Backcourt backups aren’t necessarily a priority at the moment, but Walker’s scoring prowess would give him a chance to carve at least a semi-regular role in the rotation.”
Walker could be a replacement for Alec Burks, who the Knicks traded for back at February’s trade deadline in the Bojan Bogdanovic deal from the Detroit Pistons. Earlier this month, Burks signed with the Heat and have yet to add a veteran wing since the Mikal Bridges trade from the Brooklyn Nets.
Whether or not the Knicks choose to sign Walker won’t make or break what happens in their season, but it could be the difference towards winning and losing some games during the regular season that could determine homecourt advantage in the playoffs.
