Mitchell Robinson can technically become a free agent and bring the total to 10, but it’s extremely unlikely that the team would turn down his $1.5 million club option.
The Knicks free agents and the candidates for this ranking are Rose, Alec Burks, Theo Pinson, Frank Ntilikina, Reggie Bullock, Nerlens Noel, and Taj Gibson.
Each of these players has made contributions to the Knicks winning record and culture in a number of areas such as reliable depth and injury insurance, sparkplug play off the bench, and on-court and locker room leadership.
Notice I only listed 7 players. This is because Elfrid Payton and Jared Harper will not be featured in this ranking. I don’t believe the Knicks will or should consider bringing these two players back in favor of the others (if they will consider them at all), or in favor of all other NBA free agents. Harper, when he wasn’t in the G-League, was at the end of the bench all season long. He simply hasn’t seen the playing time necessary to prove he should be resigned beyond getting another two-way contract.
Payton on the other hand has played hundreds of more minutes than necessary to prove he should be banned from New York State, maybe even the entire Northeastern region of the United States of America.
Therefore, here are the 7 Knicks free agents who have earned the opportunity to return next season, ranked from least to most deserving.
New York Knicks</a> enter the 2021 NBA offseason with <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/26/ranking-ny-knicks-free-agents-who-are-most-deserving-of-new-contract/"https://www.spotrac.com/nba/free-agents/new-york-knicks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9 impending free agents,</a> which is a lot.</p>
<p>Mitchell Robinson can technically become a free agent and bring the total to 10, but it’s extremely unlikely that the team would turn down his $1.5 million club option.</p>
<p>As <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/26/ranking-ny-knicks-free-agents-who-are-most-deserving-of-new-contract/"https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/11/ny-knicks-5-most-likely-stars-to-ny/">the Knicks look to improve</a> upon this season and further vault themselves into the conversation for contention, they will definitely be looking for upgrades throughout the roster. However, there wouldn’t be anything wrong <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/26/ranking-ny-knicks-free-agents-who-are-most-deserving-of-new-contract/"https://dailyknicks.com/2021/04/26/3-reasons-new-york-knicks-should-run-it-back/">with mostly running it back</a> with a team that was the Eastern Conferences’ 4th seed and did so without several games from Robinson and Derrick Rose.</p>
<h2>The Knicks have to figure out who they’re bringing back</h2>
<p>The Knicks free agents and the candidates for this ranking are Rose, Alec Burks, Theo Pinson, Frank Ntilikina, Reggie Bullock, Nerlens Noel, and Taj Gibson.</p>
<p>Each of these players has made contributions to the Knicks winning record and culture in a number of areas such as reliable depth and injury insurance, sparkplug play off the bench, and on-court and locker room leadership.</p>
<p>Notice I only listed 7 players. This is because Elfrid Payton and Jared Harper will not be featured in this ranking. I don’t believe the Knicks will or should consider bringing these two players back in favor of the others (if they will consider them at all), or in favor of all other NBA free agents. Harper, when he wasn’t in the G-League, was at the end of the bench all season long. He simply hasn’t seen the playing time necessary to prove he should be resigned beyond getting another two-way contract.</p>
<p>Payton on the other hand has played hundreds of more minutes than necessary to prove he should be banned from New York State, maybe even the entire Northeastern region of the United States of America.</p>
<p>Therefore, here are the 7 Knicks free agents who have earned the opportunity to return next season, ranked from least to most deserving.</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/2021/06/26/ranking-ny-knicks-free-agents-who-are-most-deserving-of-new-contract/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Players 7-6 </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-112009" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/26/ranking-ny-knicks-free-agents-who-are-most-deserving-of-new-contract/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1204881485.jpeg" alt="NY Knicks, Frank Ntilikina" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1204881485.jpeg 3200w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1204881485-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NY Knicks, Frank Ntilikina (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2><strong>NY Knicks: #7 Frank Ntilikina (Restricted Free Agent)</strong></h2>
<p>While most of the New York Knicks fanbase has come around to stan the French Prince, I’m sure there are those of you that may see him making this list and question his presence on it. After all, I have him last, and I love <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/26/ranking-ny-knicks-free-agents-who-are-most-deserving-of-new-contract/"https://dailyknicks.com/2021/04/11/ny-knicks-why-frank-ntilikina-and-kevin-knox-are-still-valuable/">Frank Ntilikina</a>.</p>
<p>However, I can be realistic and still admit that Frank’s role on the team going forward would be a limited one. I think Ntilikina can see 10-15 minutes a night for any team and have a positive impact, but the likelihood of that happening for a player entering their fifth year who hasn’t had much of a role on the Knicks in about two years is very low.</p>
<p>That being said, I still think a team will be willing to offer him a contract and give him the chance to see rotation minutes from time to time. At the very least, Ntilikina has shown signs that he can be a player who can slide in barring injury and give decent minutes. I believe the Knicks should be that team.</p>
<p>One of New York’s biggest needs is perimeter defense. Yes, the Knicks had a top defense and did well all season long in defending the three-point line, but the roster lacks players who are strong individual defenders outside the paint. Ntilikina’s greatest strength is his defense, he’s secretly one of the best players in the league at his position on that end and even outside his position. Despite the fact that the Knicks will keep trying to upgrade at point guard, Ntilikina’s ability to defend multiple positions means they can use him when need be. He will certainly be on a very cheap contract, meaning he can still add value beyond his contract without needing too many minutes to do so. He won’t take minutes away from a more talented or important guard of wing. Lastly, he may finally be a reliable shooter, as he finished the season shooting 47.9% from three and 48.6% on catch and shoot treys.</p>
<h2><strong>NY Knicks: #6 Theo Pinson (Restricted Free Agent)</strong></h2>
<p>Yes, it is more important for the Knicks to retain Theo Pinson than Ntilikina.</p>
<p>I know I just said Ntilikina can get spot minutes, and now I’m saying a player who only sees minutes in garbage time is more worthy of a new contract. But, as Knicks fans have come to learn, Pinson is one hell of a teammate.</p>
<p>Losing Ntilikina would be a disappointment for many fans, but it wouldn’t be harmful to the team. Pinson wouldn’t be a loss of talent, but would undoubtedly be a loss of leadership, energy, and morale. Pinson’s glowing smile and endless enthusiasm are some of the biggest reasons for the Knicks culture revolution. Pinson doesn’t need particular skills or even playing time to leave his mark.</p>
<p>He is beloved by all of his teammates and coaches. He is the ultimate supporter of everything surrounding Madison Square Garden. He might as well be sitting in the nosebleeds during games helping hype the crowd. He’s the embodiment of a fan, and gets paid for it. Every team needs a Theo Pinson type, and the Knicks should be ashamed if they were to not keep him, especially when he comes at such a small price.</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/2021/06/26/ranking-ny-knicks-free-agents-who-are-most-deserving-of-new-contract/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Players 5-4 </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-118362" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/26/ranking-ny-knicks-free-agents-who-are-most-deserving-of-new-contract/"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%2F2017%2F07%2F1232169049.jpeg" alt="NY Knicks" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1232169049.jpeg 1600w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1232169049-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Taj Gibson, NY Knicks (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>NY Knicks: #5 Taj Gibson (Unrestricted Free Agent)</h2>
<p>When Taj Gibson was brought back for a second season in New York, the Knicks season was already underway. This suggests that Gibson hadn’t done enough as a player to prove he can help the Knicks in 2020-21 the first time around. It looked like Gibson could be on his way out of the NBA.</p>
<p>But, leave it up to his traveling companion Tom Thibodeau to help him find his way back with the team. After witnessing what Gibson brought to the team this season, it’s no wonder why Thibodeau felt he can still help the team win games.</p>
<p>Gibson looked refreshed playing under his favorite head coach. He played perfectly to the role of coming in to play quality minutes as the 3rd string center, something he had to do often with the still occasionally foul-prone Robinson as the lead big-man. But more impressively, when Robinson went down twice this year to injuries, Gibson was able to stay steady with an increased load off the bench.</p>
<p>Averaging 20 minutes behind Noel, Gibson had some stellar performances. He even played heavy minutes on a handful of occasions when Noel too was bit by the injury bug. As a result, Gibson finished the year with better numbers across the board, increasing his field goal percentage, rebound, steal and block averages from last year. He even stepped up in the playoffs a bit, starting Game 3 for a banged-up Noel following fantastic showings in Games 1 and 2 during the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.</p>
<p>While Gibson was so vital to the team this year, the Knicks can’t continue to operate under the impression that the soon-to-be 37-year-old center can repeat his 20-21 season and play so many minutes. However, Gibson is an awesome veteran presence who showed this season that he can still have some good stuff let in the tank. Him being a Thibs guy alone should see him return in a 3rd string role once again.</p>
<h2>NY Knicks: #4 – Reggie Bullock (Unrestricted Free Agent))</h2>
<p>There wasn’t a player for the Knicks this year who <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/26/ranking-ny-knicks-free-agents-who-are-most-deserving-of-new-contract/"https://dailyknicks.com/2021/04/06/ny-knicks-reggie-bullock-has-quietly-become-a-key-role-player-for-ny/">more perfectly fit the Knicks system in a supporting role than Reggie Bullock</a>. The wing player was the Robin to Julius Randle’s Batman. Bullock made up much of the glue that held the NY Knicks’ offense together.</p>
<p>In his role as the “three and D” forward, Bullock excelled at both. After a 2019-20 season where David Fizdale was satisfied with most of his players, Bullock included, standing around doing nothing, it was great to see Bullock’s shooting abilities unlocked. He came off of screens constantly, on or off ball to get shots up from deep. He even acted as a screener for Randle, freeing up space for himself and his all-star teammate. This allowed for several possessions to start and end with one of the two scoring after a friendly game of catch with the basketball.</p>
<p>And when Randle was dishing the ball on the move or while double-teamed, he was often able to find Bullock open. Bullock cashed in regularly to the tune of 41% and 42.5% from behind the arc on overall threes and catch and shoot threes respectively. Then on defense, he was inspiring as the lead perimeter defensive option. He gave admirable effort and was effective in often being tasked with guarding the opponent’s best offensive guard or wing player.</p>
<p>You can’t have enough 3 & D players in the NBA today. Reggie’s chemistry with Randle by itself is convincing enough for a return. On a new contract, Bullock would potentially be more helpful in a bench role as New York looks for upgrades, but if he can replicate this season’s play in the future, there won’t be too many complaints about how large or small his role will be.</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/2021/06/26/ranking-ny-knicks-free-agents-who-are-most-deserving-of-new-contract/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Player #3 </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-115751" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/26/ranking-ny-knicks-free-agents-who-are-most-deserving-of-new-contract/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1118,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1304453785.jpeg" alt="NY Knicks" width="1600" height="1118" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1304453785.jpeg 1600w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1304453785-768x537.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Nerlens Noel, NY Knicks (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>#3 – Nerlens Noel (Unrestricted Free Agent)</h2>
<p><a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/26/ranking-ny-knicks-free-agents-who-are-most-deserving-of-new-contract/"https://dailyknicks.com/2021/02/17/nerlens-noels-defense-invaluable-knicks/">Nerlens Noel was an absolute force for the New York Knicks.</a></p>
<p>Noel has been a journeyman his entire career, and some of the holes in his game that still exist will likely continue to keep that reputation going. Noel just isn’t quite on the level of being an everyday starting center. This is despite the fact of course that Noel was great in his time starting for the Knicks this season.</p>
<p>With Mitchell Robinson out, Noel stepped in and maintained an elite Knicks defense. He did so by making his way onto the top tier of multiple statistical defensive categories.</p>
<p>Nerlens Noel was:</p>
<ul>
<li>3rd in blocks per game (2.2)</li>
<li>3rd in total blocks (141)</li>
<li>3rd in defensive win shares (3.6)</li>
<li>1st in defensive box plus/minus (3.5)</li>
<li>2nd in defensive rating (101.2)</li>
<li>15th in steal percentage (2.3)</li>
<li>2nd in block percentage (8.7)</li>
</ul>
<p>All while playing 27.5 minutes per game in 41 starts. Noel also was the only player in the entire NBA to average at least 2 blocks and 1 steal.</p>
<p>With clearly his best season behind him, Noel could draw offers from teams in need of a starting center. Nobody will blame him for securing a bag in free agency, but hopefully, the Knicks offer him a short-term deal for a bit more annually. Noel just made $5 million this year. Let’s say the Knicks give him a 2 or 3 year deal for about $8 million each year? He has definitely earned it.</p>
<p>Noel owes nothing to this team, but New York owes everything to him for helping to keep the Knicks from going off the rails. Robinson is a very important asset too and can be paid for doing so very soon. Regardless of Robinson’s future with the team, New York should be thrilled if they can retain Noel on a team-friendly deal to re-assume a role of the backup center.</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/2021/06/26/ranking-ny-knicks-free-agents-who-are-most-deserving-of-new-contract/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Player #2 </a>
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<span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Knicks Mock Draft 2.0: Trading up in the draft </a> </div>
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