Julius Randle, Nikola Mirotic, New Orleans Pelicans. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) – New York Knicks
Knicks Free Agent Target No. 6: Nikola Mirotic, Stretch 4
There was a time when Nikola Mirotic was one of the most sought-after role players in the entire NBA. The Spanish stretch-4 joined the Chicago Bulls in 2014-15 and was a frequent subject of trade rumors as teams around the league looked into his availability and made trade offers. He was traded twice before he came to the NBA (Houston to Minnesota, and MIN to Chicago) and twice after, once from the Bulls to the Pelicans, and then ultimately from New Orleans to the Milwaukee Bucks for four second-round picks.
It was during that year in New Orleans that Mirotic teamed up with Julius Randle to form a switch-heavy frontcourt with plenty of skill and shooting. In 62 games with the Pelicans, Mitoritc scored 15.7 points per game and pulled in 8.2 rebounds, while Randle averaged 21.4 points and 8.7 rebounds with the Pels. The two players clearly worked well together in the 30-some games where they both shared the court.
Mirotic has been out of the NBA for three seasons now, putting up big numbers for Barcelona in the Spanish ACB League. He is very likely content playing in his home country and being a star for a contender in Spain. If he ever did want to return to the NBA, however, there would be a role for him as a veteran stretch-4.
The Knicks wouldn’t offer the largest role, but the connection to both Randle and his former coach Tom Thibodeau (they were together in Chicago) would make the Knicks a viable landing spot, as would the metropolitan nature of New York City and its easy access to Spain via flight. If he makes an NBA return, the Knicks will be on the list.
to move on from him</a>, then his connection to former teammates does the team no good.</p>
<p>So for now, let’s assume Randle is sticking around. Who is on the list? We start with an unlikely target who would be returning not just to Randle’s side but to the Big Apple.</p>
<h2>Knicks Free Agent Target No. 7: Dennis Smith Jr., Guard</h2>
<p>Dennis Smith Jr. was supposed to be an explosive offensive force when he came into the league; many draft analysts and writers, including myself, had him ranked as a top-five player in the 2017 NBA Draft Class (I’ll take credit for having Jayson Tatum first and ignore the fact that I had Donovan Mitchell ranked in the 20s). Smith never capitalized on that offensive upside, stumbling to start his career in Dallas before joining the Knicks as part of the Kristaps Porzingis deal.</p>
<p>Smith bounced around the league over the past few seasons, but suddenly this year he found his niche in the league. He has translated his still-impressive athleticism onto the defensive end, where he became a lockdown perimeter defender for the Charlotte Hornets while having the best passing season of his career as a lower-usage facilitator at point guard.</p>
<p>Smith and Randle played together for one season on the Knicks, and this offseason New York is likely in the market for another point guard in case the team moves on from Immanuel Quickley one way or the other. Smith has chemistry with multiple players still on the roster, and his newfound defensive acumen will play great with head coach Tom Thibodeau.</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/2023/05/27/7-knicks-free-agent-targets-ties-julius-randle-kuzma-russell/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Threekola! </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-143192" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/05/27/7-knicks-free-agent-targets-ties-julius-randle-kuzma-russell/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%2F2018%2F08%2F1071826982.jpeg" alt="New York Knicks" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1071826982.jpeg 1600w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1071826982-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1071826982-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Julius Randle, Nikola Mirotic, New Orleans Pelicans. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) – New York Knicks</p>
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<h2>Knicks Free Agent Target No. 6: Nikola Mirotic, Stretch 4</h2>
<p>There was a time when Nikola Mirotic was one of the most sought-after role players in the entire NBA. The Spanish stretch-4 joined the Chicago Bulls in 2014-15 and was a frequent subject of trade rumors as teams around the league looked into his availability and made trade offers. He was traded twice before he came to the NBA (Houston to Minnesota, and MIN to Chicago) and twice after, once from the Bulls to the Pelicans, and then ultimately from New Orleans to the Milwaukee Bucks for four second-round picks.</p>
<p>It was during that year in New Orleans that Mirotic teamed up with Julius Randle to form a switch-heavy frontcourt with plenty of skill and shooting. In 62 games with the Pelicans, Mitoritc scored 15.7 points per game and pulled in 8.2 rebounds, while Randle averaged 21.4 points and 8.7 rebounds with the Pels. The two players clearly worked well together in the 30-some games where they both shared the court.</p>
<p>Mirotic has been out of the NBA for three seasons now, putting up big numbers for Barcelona in the Spanish ACB League. He is very likely content playing in his home country and being a star for a contender in Spain. If he ever did want to return to the NBA, however, there would be a role for him as a veteran stretch-4.</p>
<p>The Knicks wouldn’t offer the largest role, but the connection to both Randle and his former coach Tom Thibodeau (they were together in Chicago) would make the Knicks a viable landing spot, as would the metropolitan nature of New York City and its easy access to Spain via flight. If he makes an NBA return, the Knicks will be on the list.</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/2023/05/27/7-knicks-free-agent-targets-ties-julius-randle-kuzma-russell/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Flame Thrower </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-143193" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/05/27/7-knicks-free-agent-targets-ties-julius-randle-kuzma-russell/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1707,w_2560/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F930670544-scaled.jpeg" alt="New York Knicks" width="2560" height="1707" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/930670544-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/930670544-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/930670544-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/930670544-2048x1366.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Jordan Clarkson, Cleveland Cavaliers, Julius Randle, Los Angeles Lakers (Photo by Josh Lefkowitz/Getty Images) – New York Knicks</p>
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<h2>Knicks Free Agent Target No. 5: Jordan Clarkson, Combo Guard</h2>
<p>The 2017-18 Los Angeles Lakers were like a large plant that scattered seeds to the wind, letting them float across the NBA to land in various places. A whopping 13 players from that team are still in the NBA and playing for nine different teams. Julius Randle and Josh Hart are together on the New York Knicks, and it’s very possible another alumnus from that team makes his way to the Knicks this summer.</p>
<p>We’ll hit on multiple other players from that team, but one player with a relatively low shot of coming to the Knicks is Jordan Clarkson. The combo guard bounced from Los Angeles to Cleveland to Utah, where he has carved out a role as a floor-raising on-ball scoring threat, winning Sixth Man of the Year two seasons ago and elevating into the starting lineup this season en route to averaging 20.8 points per game, a career-high.</p>
<p>The Utah Jazz are going through a soft rebuild, amassing a good young core of players to replace the last guard; Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, Joe Ingles, Mike Conley, and Bojan Bogdanovic are out; Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, Collin Sexton, Talen Horton-Tucker and Ochai Agbaji are in. Where does that leave Clarkson, the most prominent remaining player from the former group?</p>
<p>It may mean returning to provide some veteran presence on the Jazz, but more likely it means he will find a new home in free agency. Could there be a place as a Sixth Man scorer on the New York Knicks? It’s possible, and he has a rapport with Randle and Hart from their time on the Lakers. He probably wants a larger role or more money elsewhere, but the Knicks are an interesting landing place to pursue winning over shots.</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/2023/05/27/7-knicks-free-agent-targets-ties-julius-randle-kuzma-russell/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Wood in the Trees </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-143194" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/05/27/7-knicks-free-agent-targets-ties-julius-randle-kuzma-russell/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1707,w_2560/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1142095079-scaled.jpeg" alt="New York Knicks" width="2560" height="1707" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1142095079-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1142095079-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1142095079-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1142095079-2048x1366.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Christian Wood, New Orleans Pelicans. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) – New York Knicks</p>
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<h2>Knicks Free Agent Target No. 4: Christian Wood, Big</h2>
<p>We discussed earlier the 2018-19 New Orleans Pelicans when Julius Randle started at power forward in a super-sized frontcourt with Anthony Davis and Nikola Mirotic. Down the stretch of that season, with Davis often injured and Mirotic traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, the Pels gave run to a young big named Christian Wood.</p>
<p>Wood, a raw big out of UNLV who spent time in the G League with the Greensboro Swarm before being picked up by the Pelicans, got big minutes right off the bat at the tail end of a lost season. He took full advantage, scoring 16.9 points and 7.9 rebounds in eight appearances. He was bouncy, for good and for ill, and his speed and strength made an impression that got him a full contract with the Detroit Pistons and eventually a larger contract and role in Houston and Dallas.</p>
<p>This summer Wood is now a free agent once again, and the Mavericks <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/05/27/7-knicks-free-agent-targets-ties-julius-randle-kuzma-russell/2/"https://theathletic.com/4474477/2023/05/01/kyrie-irving-dallas-mavericks-free-agency/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">don’t seem particularly motivated</a> (subscription required) to bring him back. He is likely not going to command a salary of $20 million or more this summer after a shaky year in Dallas, and it’s possible a team could sign him with the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception (MLE) this offseason. Would the Knicks make a move?</p>
<p>On the one hand, they have plenty of bigs. On the other, their center rotation is made up of low-usage play finishers, and if they offload any of those players in a trade, Wood could make sense as an offensive-minded center with the skill to create his own shot. It would be a different look for the Knicks, and probably not one head coach Tom Thibodeau is willing to entertain, but good teams should always be looking for ways to be versatile. Signing Christian Wood could accomplish that… or it could be a waste of money.</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/2023/05/27/7-knicks-free-agent-targets-ties-julius-randle-kuzma-russell/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> D-Lo </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-143195" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/05/27/7-knicks-free-agent-targets-ties-julius-randle-kuzma-russell/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1226,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F662214866.jpeg" alt="New York Knicks" width="1600" height="1226" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/662214866.jpeg 1600w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/662214866-768x588.jpeg 768w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/662214866-1536x1177.jpeg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Julius Randle, D’Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) – New York Knicks</p>
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<h2>Knicks Free Agent Target No. 3: D’Angelo Russell, Point Guard</h2>
<p>Going back to Randle’s time with the Los Angeles Lakers, he and a young point guard named D’Angelo Russell made sweet music on offense. Russell was the crafty passer on the perimeter and Randle was the bowling ball on the interior knocking through opponents as if they were pins. Those teams didn’t win a lot, but they certainly scored points.</p><div class="widget fs_ads"> <div class="fs_ad_widget-ad" style="margin:0 auto; width: 300px;"> <div class="fs-ll-ad" data-ad-type="minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet" data-vendor="minutemedia">
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<p>Russell has made his way around the league over the past few seasons, starting in Brooklyn, Golden State, and Minnesota before landing back on the Lakers at this year’s Trade Deadline. He continues to be a gifted passer and talented scorer, but the inconsistency of his motor and defensive limitations leave question marks for any team looking to invest heavily in the 27-year-old point guard.</p>
<p>The Lakers may re-sign Russell this summer and take him off the market, but it’s also possible that they go in a different direction and let Russell find a new team. Would the Knicks be interested? On the one hand, Russell could be available at a discount compared to his offensive punch, and having a secondary ball-handler and playmaker would open things up for Jalen Brunson and give the Knicks 48 solid minutes at the point.</p>
<p>Would Russell be available for the MLE? Almost certainly not, which means the Knicks would need to open up cap space to sign him. Is he worth going after? If they didn’t have Jalen Brunson already on board, perhaps, but Russell is not better than Brunson and introduces some team-building constraints if they sign him. This old teammate of Randle’s is unlikely to make it to New York.</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/2023/05/27/7-knicks-free-agent-targets-ties-julius-randle-kuzma-russell/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Splash Mountain </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-143196" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/05/27/7-knicks-free-agent-targets-ties-julius-randle-kuzma-russell/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1707,w_2560/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1485118479-scaled.jpeg" alt="New York Knicks" width="2560" height="1707" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1485118479-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1485118479-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1485118479-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1485118479-2048x1366.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Brook Lopez, Milwaukee Bucks. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) – New York Knicks</p>
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<h2>Knicks Free Agent Target No. 2: Brook Lopez, Center</h2>
<p>The Milwaukee Bucks had one of the league’s best defenses yet again this season, with a seven-foot mountain at the center protecting the rim as well as anyone in the league. Brook Lopez finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting this season with a career year on both ends of the court. So why is he on this list? Because there is a very real possibility that Lopez will not be returning to the Milwaukee Bucks this summer.</p>
<p>The Bucks were just destroyed in the first round of the playoffs by the Miami Heat, they fired their head coach, and are starting down the barrel of a gargantuan luxury tax payment and future team-building penalties if they re-sign Lopez and Khris Middleton this summer to massive deals. If they lowball Lopez due to his age or that pending financial crunch, he could look elsewhere for a landing spot.</p>
<p>The New York Knicks don’t need a center, but they should look into the possibility; they could always move Mitchell Robinson or Isaiah Hartenstein. If Lopez is available for the MLE the Knicks could suddenly have one of the best paint defenders in the sport manning the middle, and offensively “Splash Mountain” can stretch the floor in a way very unlike any of the centers on the team now.</p>
<p>Lopez has completely reinvented himself since the last time he played on the East Coast, making an All-Star team with the Brooklyn Nets as an interior bruiser. He went to the Lakers next, where he played alongside Julius Randle and started to add a three-point shot. It all came together in Milwaukee, and any team signing Lopez would have one of the best two-way centers in the league.</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/2023/05/27/7-knicks-free-agent-targets-ties-julius-randle-kuzma-russell/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> The Kuz </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-143197" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/05/27/7-knicks-free-agent-targets-ties-julius-randle-kuzma-russell/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1774,w_2560/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1085523428-scaled.jpeg" alt="New York Knicks" width="2560" height="1774" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1085523428-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1085523428-768x532.jpeg 768w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1085523428-1536x1064.jpeg 1536w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1085523428-2048x1419.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Julius Randle, New Orleans Pelicans, Kyle Kuzma, Los Angeles Lakers. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) – New York Knicks</p>
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<h2>Knicks Free Agent Target No. 1: Kyle Kuzma, Combo Forward</h2>
<p>Every player on this list has some major hurdle to signing with the New York Knicks, from finances to team fit to the likelihood they want to keep playing in Spain (I’ll let you guess who that was). Kyle Kuzma manages to hit on all of those hurdles: he is going to command a large salary this summer, he plays the same position as his old teammate Julius Randle, and he is considered likely to re-sign with his current team, the Washington Wizards.</p>
<p>Kuzma was drafted late in the first round in 2017 by the Los Angeles Lakers, three years after they drafted Julius Randle. The two were together for one season, often starting together in a small frontcourt at the 4 and the 5, respectively. After Randle left and the Lakers added LeBron James, Kuzma increased his off-ball skills and his defense. Upon landing in Washington, he has taken a huge step in playmaking and creating his own shot. He’s now something of a complete player, not a highly-efficient superstar but a player largely without any glaring weaknesses.</p>
<p>That kind of player could be an awesome fit on the Knicks, but the problem is that Randle is entrenched as the 4 and doesn’t offer the rim protection needed for him to play center. Earlier in his career, he survived on defense in a switch-heavy scheme that he and Kuzma did well with, but Randle has lost a step and is no longer competent in a switch scheme. Adding Kuzma might mean moving on from Randle.</p>
<p>If not, however, the Knicks might try to make it work with Kuzma at the 3. That would give the Knicks a lot of size and a tertiary shot creator. It’s not a perfect fit, but Kuzma’s desire to play for a contender and/or in a big city certainly gives the Knicks an opportunity to woo him if they decide to go down that path.</p>
<p>Julius Randle and Kyle Kuzma played together on those 2017-18 Lakers, like so many other players on this list. Randle has only been on three teams, but the relationships he built on those teams could allow the Knicks a way to connect with a number of free agents and potentially find an upgrade for the team moving forward.</p>
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