The NBA is officially in the offseason, and it’s time for Knicks president Leon Rose and company to get to work.
Teams cannot begin formal negotiations with other free agents until June 30, but they can negotiate with their own players who are eligible to hit the market.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the decisions the Knicks face this offseason.
Major free agents
Isaiah Hartenstein is an unrestricted free agent, and OG Anunoby is expected to become an unrestricted free agent if he declines his $19.9 million player option.
He has until Monday to make a decision.
Both were very important players for the Knicks.
An injury to Mitchell Robinson made Hartenstein the starting center, and the Knicks acquired Anunoby in a trade with the Raptors and went 26-6.
The Knicks could sign Anunoby to a four-year, $117 million extension, but the chances of that happening are about as likely as coach Tom Thibodeau employing load management.
When healthy, Anunoby has been a game-changing presence, especially on the defensive end.
He’s rumored to be asking for around $35 million per season, and because the Knicks own his Bird Rights, they could pay above the salary cap to keep him.
He recently switched agencies from Clutch to CAA, the Knicks-aligned outfit Rose previously ran.
Hartenstein is coming off a two-year, $16 million contract and is due for a raise.
The Knicks can use their Early Bird rights to offer him a four-year, $72.5 million contract, but there are other teams, such as the Thunder, who are in need of a center, that could pay him more.
Losing the reliable Hartenstein would be a big blow given Robinson’s frequent injuries.
Thibodeau’s contract extension
It’s hard to imagine the Knicks and head coach Tom Thibodeau not agreeing to a new contract.
He only has one year left on his contract, but he has been more successful than any Knicks coach since Jeff Van Gundy, who spent four seasons as the Knicks’ head coach.
The 66-year-old Thibodeau is close with Rose and clearly wants to be here.
Coaching salaries have skyrocketed recently, with contracts starting at more than $10 million appear to be the norm.
A possible Brunson/Randall trade
If Jalen Brunson emerges as a bona fide superstar, waiting a year could bring in a huge payday.
With one year remaining on his contract, Brunson can sign a four-year, $156.5 million extension this summer, or wait until next summer and be eligible for a five-year, $258 million deal.
The Knicks would clearly prefer the former.
Then there’s Julius Randle, who is coming off shoulder surgery and is eligible for a four-year, $190 million contract extension.
However, the Knicks are unlikely to be in a rush to sign him to a contract extension as he returns from a serious injury.
Bogdanovic’s options
The Knicks have until June 28 to pick up the $19 million team option on hard-shooting wing Bojan Bogdanovic or pay the $2 million to release him.
The 6-foot-8 veteran was traded to the Pistons but struggled for the most part.
Just when he was showing signs of being a floor-spacing contributor off the bench in the playoffs, he suffered a foot injury that required surgery.
Considering Bogdanovic’s expiring contract, keeping him could give the Knicks the ability to use him if a big trade were to happen.
