The Oklahoma City Thunder win the 2025 NBA Finals. Duke’s Cooper Flagg is selected first overall by the Mavericks in the NBA Draft. In three days, on June 30th, the NBA’s free agency will open. The Association never rests, and neither should the Knicks if they want to capitalize on the contention window they’ve opened. The vaunted second apron spares no team, but Brock Aller and Leon Rose have expertly managed their cap space to allow New York to remain under the second level and operate with some more freedom in this free agency season. Jalen Brunson’s willingness to not take the max contract available to him helps tremendously, and if the Knicks want to build around him properly they need to take advantage of this flexibility. Precious Achuiwa, Cam Payne, Landry Shamet and Delon Wright will all be hitting the open market, and it seems likely that Shamet is the only one brought back, if even at all. So who should be brought in to fill these holes? What does this Knicks team need, and which players can bring that? This class might just have a few answers.

Need #1: On-Ball Playmaking Off the Bench

If one thing was apparent this past season, it’s that the Knicks offense drastically fell off with Jalen Brunson and KAT on the bench. The Knicks do not have an abundance of primary ball handlers outside of Brunson, which is detrimental if he needs a breather. Mikal, KAT and OG can all self-create if JB is on the bench, but they’re all plenty more effective without that burden. Deuce McBride has been expected to fill that role, but it seems he works best off the ball. While the Knicks aren’t operating with a ton of cap space, there are some cheaper options I think could be solutions.

Malcom Brogdon is a guard the front office could be targeting, despite his previous 22 million dollar price tag. Brogdon is coming off a career low shooting year with a Wizards team looking to do nothing but Capture the Flagg (to no avail.) He may not be commanding the same kind of money from his Sixth Man of the Year campaign three years ago. Brogdon, 32, is a steady playmaker and can control the pace of an offense, even if his shooting is starting to regress. The Knicks are just about eight million under the second apron and are really only able to spend the 5.7 million mid-level exception, but they may make a move to free space. Using that last bit to bring in Brogdon could be a strong solution. Brogdon would likely command around 7-11 million dollars a year, which would officially put the Knicks over the apron. Brogdon is 6’5″ and a solid defender, while also being allergic to turning the ball over throughout his career. This would be ideal for a Knicks offense that felt completely stagnant without their lead ball handler in.

Spencer Dinwiddie, Bruce Brown, Tyus Jones and Chris Paul are also free agents not expected to get much more than six to eight million a year and would provide plenty of relief. Chris Paul may be 40, but he kept the Spurs bench afloat last season and his services would be welcome in New York, he’s the Point God for a reason. Dinwiddie and Jones would be inexpensive pickups for the Knicks that would keep them well under the second apron and leave room to sign another need they’re looking for this offseason.

Need #2: Wing Shooting

Deep into the 2025 playoffs, the Knicks felt the impact of not having someone to come off the bench and shoot them back into a game. Deuce McBride was expected to be that, but I think he was a bit overtaxed this year and bringing in a ball handler will hopefully help there. Another shooter from the wing would be a massive boost and take some attention away from the rest of the bench.

Landry Shamet was really the only Knick last year whose sole job was to shoot threes, but he never got used enough to make an impact. Even then, he shot 40% on 156 attempts and is a savvy defender. He could certainly be brought back to fill this role again, but I feel the Knicks may be looking elsewhere. They could use some more size off the bench as well, and they could solve both of these problems in one move. Doug McDermott, Jae Crowder and Taurean Prince are all veteran options I could see Leon Rose bringing in to provide shooting. McDermott only played 12 minutes a game last season, but shot 44% in that time and 46% from the corners. Taurean Prince started 73 games for Milwaukee and shot 44% on a much larger sample size. Prince has length at 6’6 and is a very respectable defender on the perimeter along with his shooting prowess. Much like McDermott, he is also a prolific corner shooter, hitting 45% of his attempts from the spot.

Crowder only played 9 games last year due to some injury troubles and a rotation in Sacramento that had no rhyme or reason, so he’d be a bit of a gamble. All three of these options would be financially feasible, expecting to receive vet minimums. Taurean Prince would be ideal, but I wouldn’t mind seeing Dougie McBuckets back in New York.

Need #3: A True Four

With Precious Achuiwa walking this summer, the Knicks are without a true power forward on the roster. OG Anunoby can play big if asked and was tasked to fill that role last year, but it’s not his best positional fit. A real, sizable four on the roster would go a long way towards rounding it out. There are a lot of reasonable options in this free agency class that could provide size and hustle.

If the Raptors don’t plan to bring him back, Chris Boucher, 32, is a rangey stretch four who has no issues hitting the hardwood and rebounds ferociously. At 6’9″ he would provide tons of size off the bench next to Mitchell Robinson, and could play next to him or KAT seamlessly with his three point shooting. Boucher is a big who will do all the cleanup work and little things to help win. He will likely command around six to seven million dollars, and would be an ideal fit on this team. Another soon-to-be 33 year old, Larry Nance Jr. could fill a similar role to Boucher. Nance also plays in the margins, doing dirty work and dunking on unsuspecting defenders who (wrongly) assume he has lost his bounce. He was productive in Atlanta this past season, shooting 52/45/70 and averaging 8.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists. Nance would likely expect similar money to Boucher and be relatively inexpensive. Trey Lyles is an intriguing option, a serviceable interior defender and rebounder who can put some shots up from outside. He would be the cheapest option of the three, and is a low-risk signing.

Leon Rose and Co. have their work cut out for them once the moratorium period opens on the 30th. With the restrictiveness of the second apron, he will need to be shrewd and explore every last option to make this roster work. Some of these options are wishful thinking, but with a bit of cap finagling and players hopefully willing to take a pay cut to compete for a ring, anything is possible. The Knicks have been especially quiet as of late, and may already have a move in the works. No matter what they do, the Knicks will need to make sure they keep their window open as long as possible. With the East completely up for grabs next year, they better go and take it.