NYK HAS INTEREST
A source confirms that Sexton is among the players on the Knicks’ radar in the offseason. The Athletic reported the Knicks are the most aggressive suitor for Sexton. On Tuesday night, a source with knowledge of the dynamic said it was difficult to characterize which suitor was most aggressive in pursuing Sexton due to the nature of trade conversations leading up to the draft. But the source said New York had "legitimate" interest in dealing for Sexton.
Also worth noting: One team doing its homework on a possible Sexton trade believed Cleveland would like to get a veteran who can help the club win in return for the 22-year-old guard.
The Knicks can send young players and picks to the Cavs, but they don’t have a veteran on a multi-year contract for Cleveland.
WHAT ABOUT THE MONEY?
If the Knicks traded for Sexton, they could sign him to an extension prior to the 2021-22 season. New York would have Sexton’s Bird Rights, so the club could exceed the salary cap to sign him to an extension. That means the Knicks could still use their cap space to sign free agents this summer before they pay Sexton.
Sexton’s extension would begin in 2022-23, so the extension would eat into New York’s 2022 cap space.
Sexton’s extension could be as high as $168 million over five years.
If the Knicks extend Julius Randle and Sexton, they could still create enough cap space for a max free agent in 2022. But doing so becomes a bit more difficult. An RJ Barrett extension wouldn’t impact their 2022 cap space, but they’d need to maintain cap flexibility this offseason.
STILL STAR CHASING?
This is noteworthy because, as recently as last month, the Knicks talked internally about acquiring a top-tier star via trade or signing.
That’s not new, of course.
Dating back to the 2020 NBA trade deadline, one of the Knicks’ goals has been to maintain enough assets/flexibility to acquire a star. Leading up to the 2021 trade deadline, people with the Knicks felt that they were only going to make a big trade if it netted a player who could turn them into a contender.
The question then, and now, is: What top-tier player is available this offseason?
Unless a star player demands a trade, there is no obvious answer.
So even if the Knicks acquire and extend Sexton, I’d expect them to maintain enough flexibility/assets to be in the conversation for an established star player in the 2022 class. That class will likely feature Chicago’s Zach LaVine and Washington’s Bradley Beal.
(This shouldn’t come as a surprise, but the Knicks continue to monitor the situations for both players).
Again, if New York signs Sexton to an extension, the club can still have enough cap space to sign a max free agent in 2022.
Other teams with cap space this offseason, including the Toronto Raptors and Dallas Mavericks, could also look to prioritize cap space for 2022. So the Knicks will likely have significant competition for 2022 free agents.
Will the Knicks have enough assets left over to trade for a star player following a Sexton trade?
That remains to be seen.
One other note: People in touch with the Knicks recently came away with the impression that New York had little interest in including Barrett in any trades.
I been looking for that shyt everywhere !
