Knicks Linked To 3 ‘Sleeper’ Targets In NBA Free Agency

NBA writer Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report recently wrote a column called “Knicks Sleeper Contracts to Pursue in NBA Free Agency.”

Buckley listed Patrick Beverley, Max Strus and Yuta Watanabe. All three players will become unrestricted free agents this summer.

“If Beverley just rediscovers his touch from range—33.9 percent the past two seasons, 39.3 percent the six previous campaigns—he could be a tone-setting defender who won’t dominate the basketball and will convert a lot of the clean looks he gets,” Buckley wrote.

“The Knicks, as you may have heard a time or 10 before, desperately need to find more shooters this summer. Strus may be one of the better ones available, provided he can recapture the form he flashed last season.

“Regardless of how Josh Hart’s free agency plays out, the Knicks would help themselves by adding to their wing depth. Specifically, they need wings who won’t dominate the ball, can stroke it from three and defend at a high enough level to earn coach Tom Thibodeau’s trust. Yuta Watanabe fits the bill.”

Beverley played for the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls this season. He averaged 6.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists. The Chicago native missed the playoffs for the first time in his NBA career, as the Bulls didn’t make the postseason.

For the Miami Heat, Strus averaged 11.5 points while shooting 35.0% from beyond the arc. He’s considered one of the top 3-point shooters in the NBA, although it’s worth mentioning he’s struggling in the NBA Finals versus the Denver Nuggets.

Finally, Watanabe put up 5.6 points per game for the Brooklyn Nets. He shot an impressive 44.4% from 3. The 28-year-old is from Yokohama, Japan.

The Knicks lost to the Heat in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in six games. It will be interesting to see what the front office does this summer in regard to improving the roster around star point guard Jalen Brunson.