The New York Knicks have just enough room to sign a player to a veteran’s minimum without going over the second apron. They have begun the process of fortifying their bench with the additions of Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele, but they still may want to add a player in the backcourt.
Stefan Bondy of the New York Post listed a few potential candidates to fill in that final veteran’s minimum spot, one of which is an intriguing buyout candidate on the Washington Wizards.
“Per a source, the Knicks are monitoring the situation with Marcus Smart, who is a buyout candidate currently under contract with the Wizards,” Bondy wrote. “If Smart indeed hits free agency, he’ll have a bunch of suitors, and I’m guessing other teams can offer more guaranteed playing time than the Knicks can.”
Smart is still on his four-year, $76 million contract he signed with the Boston Celtics in 2022. This past season, he was traded to the Washington Wizards and is slated to make over $21 million next season.
Washington has 17 players on their active roster, so the expectation is that it will be offloading some of its veteran pieces to clear up cap space. Smart is one of those likely to be offloaded, meaning that he will become an unrestricted free agent and can potentially sign for the minimum.
New York would be a perfect fit for Smart, as he would provide their bench with elite perimeter defense and solid three-point shooting. In the 2021-22 season, Smart won the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award after averaging 1.7 steals per game and being the top perimeter defender.
That same season, he averaged 12.1 points and 5.9 assists on 41% shooting from the field and 33% from three. His contributions on both ends helped the Celtics turn around their season and reach the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games.
Bringing in Smart on a veteran’s minimum would be a low-risk, high-reward signing, as he has the potential to have a very strong impact on a Knicks team looking to capitalize on their run to the Eastern Conference Finals last season.
Ultimately, whether or not the Knicks can pursue is dependent on whether Washington buys him out of his contract. If that happens, expect New York to jump on the opportunity.
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