Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
NBA free agency is about to begin and the jockeying for available talent will soon commence. This free agent class includes some monster names like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, but it also consists of lower-level guys teams need as role players. The New York Knicks are looking to put together a large portion of their rotation through free agency, and two guys on their radar are Greg Monroe and Arron Afflalo.
According to Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Knicks are the leaders in the chase for Monroe and Afflalo.
Knicks are frontrunners for two free agents — Greg Monroe and Arron Afflalo, league sources told Yahoo Sports. Those are realistic targets.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) June 29, 2015
Phil Jackson said that his goal was to add two starters through free agency, and these two guys would likely be just that. They are both known for their offense. Monroe is a true low-post threat, averaging 15.9 points and 10.2 rebounds per game last season for the Detroit Pistons. Afflalo is a threat on the perimeter, averaging 13.3 points between his time with the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers. He shot the three at a 35 percent clip, and the Knicks could desperately use someone to space the floor.
There is a red flag with these two free agents, however. Neither are highly touted defenders, so if put in a lineup with Carmelo Anthony, you wouldn’t have a very good defensive lineup. Even if the Knicks were able to get their hands on just one of these guys, it would be an improvement. It appears that Jackson is going to be a very busy man once free agency begins, as this Knicks roster is nowhere near complete.
Patrick Piascik is an NBA Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @patrickpiascik.
