Robin Lopez, New York Knicks. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
2: Robin Lopez
What’s going to happen if Robinson leaves the Knicks this summer? The front office could be planning to draft his replacement, but if that doesn’t happen, there will be several options for New York to consider in free agency.
One of those options is Robin Lopez, who played in all 82 games for the Knicks in 2015-16. He was sent to the Chicago Bulls during the 2016 offseason as part of the Derrick Rose trade. Now, ironically enough, there’s a chance that both he and Rose could be in New York together.
Lopez spent the 2021-22 season with the Orlando Magic, where he averaged 7.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting 55.3% from the floor. He played in a career-low 36 games, but that’s because his role was to help guide a rebuilding team and not to be a huge factor on the court.
The 34-year-old is no longer meant to be part of a starting rotation, and even after playing in less than half of the season this past year, he’d be a decent off the bench option. In 2020-21, Lopez played in 71 games for the Washington Wizards and averaged 9 points and 3.8 rebounds in an average of 19.1 minutes per contest, so it’s not as if he’s incapable of being a consistent force down low.
If Robinson walks, the Knicks will be left with Jericho Sims, Taj Gibson, and Nerlens Noel. The latter played in 25 games this past year due to an injury and is set to make $9.3 million in 2022-23 before having a $9.7 club option in 2023-24. There have been rumors about a possible Noel trade, and if that ends up being the case, the front office could consider signing Lopez.
He’d be a great veteran presence for Sims and would be able to provide meaningful minutes, namely on the offensive end. However, if Robinson stays, and if Noel isn’t traded, there won’t be a need for Lopez.
New York Knicks</a> will have to make it past the 2022 NBA Draft first. With the draft taking place in less than two weeks, it’s drawn more attention than free agency, but let’s not forget about the buzz that’ll be coming at the end of the month.</p>
<p>Knicks fans will soon learn the fate of Mitchell Robinson. Will the center sign an extension and stay in New York or will he go elsewhere? If the signs are pointing toward him leaving, the front office will have the chance to search for his replacement in both the draft and/or in free agency.</p>
<p>The decisions that Leon Rose and his counterparts will make in free agency are still unknown, but there are a few former Knicks that could once again call Madison Square Garden their home. It seems as if just about every current player in the NBA has suited up for New York at one point or another, but we’re going to focus on three options that would make the most sense.</p>
<h2>3 former Knicks that could sign with the team in 2022 free agency</h2>
<h3>3: Austin Rivers</h3>
<p>Wait, <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/06/12/3-former-knicks-return-new-york-2022-free-agency/2/"https://www.espn.com/nba/player/stats/_/id/6617/austin-rivers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Austin Rivers</a> was on the Knicks? Yes. He landed in New York via a sign-and-trade with the Houston Rockets and he played in 21 games before being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of a three-team trade. Rivers was waived by the Thunder and signed with the Denver Nuggets in April of 2021.</p>
<p>While with the Knicks, the point guard averaged 7.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2 assists. He shot 43% from the field and 36.4% from the 3-point line.</p>
<p>Rivers signed with the Nuggets after Jamal Murray tore his ACL, but since Murray is expected to return to the court after sitting out in 2021-22, Denver could let Rivers walk in free agency. He was more of a factor on the defensive end than the offensive end for the Nuggets, guarding Steph Curry in the 2022 playoffs and averaging 1.4 steals in the team’s five postseason games.</p>
<p>New York fans might be reading this right now wondering why the front office should sign a veteran backup point guard in free agency who can play defense. Knowing Tom Thibodeau, he’d find a way for Rivers to take minutes from Immanuel Quickley and Miles McBride.</p>
<p>But the Knicks are clearly interested in either trading for a point guard or signing one in free agency, and depending on what players (if any) are traded from New York, Rivers wouldn’t be a bad option to come off the bench. This free agency signing would make the most sense if the plan is to trade Derrick Rose this summer, and while that’s a possibility, who knows what’s going to happen.</p>
<p>Rivers would come at a cheap cost and would be able to provide quality minutes as part of the second unit, so he’s a player who should at least be considered.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/06/12/3-former-knicks-return-new-york-2022-free-agency/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> A veteran center option </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-128910" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/06/12/3-former-knicks-return-new-york-2022-free-agency/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2266,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2022%2F06%2F520750114.jpeg" alt="New York Knicks, Robin Lopez" width="3200" height="2266" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/06/520750114.jpeg 3200w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/06/520750114-768x544.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Robin Lopez, New York Knicks. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>2: Robin Lopez</h3>
<p>What’s going to happen if Robinson leaves the Knicks this summer? The front office could be planning to draft his replacement, but if that doesn’t happen, there will be several options for New York to consider in free agency.</p>
<p>One of those options is <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/06/12/3-former-knicks-return-new-york-2022-free-agency/2/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/lopezro01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Robin Lopez</a>, who <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/06/12/3-former-knicks-return-new-york-2022-free-agency/2/"https://dailyknicks.com/2016/02/22/new-york-knicks-robin-lopez-is-worth-every-penny/">played in all 82 games for the Knicks in 2015-16</a>. He was sent to the Chicago Bulls during the 2016 offseason as part of the Derrick Rose trade. Now, ironically enough, there’s a chance that both he and Rose could be in New York together.</p>
<p>Lopez spent the 2021-22 season with the Orlando Magic, where he averaged 7.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting 55.3% from the floor. He played in a career-low 36 games, but that’s because his role was to help guide a rebuilding team and not to be a huge factor on the court.</p>
<p>The 34-year-old is no longer meant to be part of a starting rotation, and even after playing in less than half of the season this past year, he’d be a decent off the bench option. In 2020-21, Lopez played in 71 games for the Washington Wizards and averaged 9 points and 3.8 rebounds in an average of 19.1 minutes per contest, so it’s not as if he’s incapable of being a consistent force down low.</p>
<p>If Robinson walks, the Knicks will be left with Jericho Sims, Taj Gibson, and Nerlens Noel. The latter played in 25 games this past year due to an injury and is set to make $9.3 million in 2022-23 before having a $9.7 club option in 2023-24. There have been rumors about a possible Noel trade, and if that ends up being the case, the front office could consider signing Lopez.</p>
<p>He’d be a great veteran presence for Sims and would be able to provide meaningful minutes, namely on the offensive end. However, if Robinson stays, and if Noel isn’t traded, there won’t be a need for Lopez.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/06/12/3-former-knicks-return-new-york-2022-free-agency/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> A homecoming for the ages </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-128911" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/06/12/3-former-knicks-return-new-york-2022-free-agency/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2022%2F06%2F622091808.jpeg" alt="New York Knicks, Carmelo Anthony" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/06/622091808.jpeg 1600w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/06/622091808-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>1: Carmelo Anthony</h3>
<p>This is the one. <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/06/12/3-former-knicks-return-new-york-2022-free-agency/2/"https://www.espn.com/nba/player/stats/_/id/1975/carmelo-anthony" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Carmelo Anthony</a> was<em> supposed</em> to get his first ring in 2021-22 with the Los Angeles Lakers, but we all know how that turned out. If he and the Lakers don’t agree to an extension, he’ll be on the market as an unrestricted free agent.</p>
<p>There’s <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/06/12/3-former-knicks-return-new-york-2022-free-agency/2/"https://dailyknicks.com/2022/04/21/knicks-bring-carmelo-anthony-back-home-offseason/">been talk about him making his way back to New York</a>, but it wouldn’t be in a limited role so that he could retire with the team that he spent six and a half seasons with. In Los Angeles, Melo averaged 13.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1 assist in 69 games while shooting 44.1% from the field and 37.5% from the 3-point line.</p>
<p>He was one of the high points of the Lakers’ otherwise disappointing year, so it’s evident that he still has gas left in his tank. Melo started in every game that he played in for the Knicks from 2010 to 2017, but that wouldn’t be the case if he were to return.</p>
<p>As he did in LA, Melo would provide valuable minutes off the bench. That isn’t all, though. He knows what it’s like to be the “star” under the bright lights, so he’d be the perfect guide for RJ Barrett, as well as the team’s other younger players. New York already has Gibson, sure, but Melo would bring an entirely different element (back) to the Knicks.</p>
<p>He could decide to re-sign with the Lakers and stay with his good friend LeBron James, which would likely be one of his final attempts to get the ring that he deserves. But at the same time, it’d be wise for him to leave Los Angeles if he wants to win an NBA title.</p>
<p>And no, New York doesn’t have a shot to win a title in the near future, so him signing with the Knicks would likely signal the end of his career.</p>
<p>It feels like it’s been an eternity since he last suited up for New York, but it’s been five years. Since then, he’s seriously contemplated retirement, but got a second chance with the Portland Trail Blazers.</p>
<p>Melo still has more left to give, and him signing with the Knicks would be a full-circle moment, but if his main goal is to win a ring, he won’t end up back in New York this offseason.</p>
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