NBA Free Agency 2020: 5 teams with the most to gain

4. New York Knicks

The New York Knicks are headed for their seventh straight trip to the draft lottery, but legitimate hope might not be far away.

Although new team president Leon Rose barely got his feet wet before the season went on hiatus, he’s in position to make some major noise this offseason. Rose’s predecessor, Steve Mills, ensured the Knicks would have financial flexibility by signing a number of free agents last offseason to two-year contracts with second-year team options or minimal guarantees.

If the Knicks cut ties with Bobby Portis, Taj Gibson, Elfrid Payton, Wayne Ellington and/or Reggie Bullock, they might be able to carve out upward of $40 million in cap space. What they do with that money in a weak free-agent class is anyone’s guess.

In late April, one Knicks front office member told SNY’s Ian Begley that trading for a disgruntled star would be the team’s “best path” moving forward. According to Frank Isola of SiriusXM NBA, New York has been “gathering intel” on Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Chris Paul, whom Rose once represented as an agent prior to taking over the Knicks.

Whether the Knicks use their cap space to facilitate a trade for a veteran with a bloated contract or swing for the fences in free agency, they’ll likely be looking to bolster the supporting cast around their young core of RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson. They’ll also enter the lottery with a 9.0 percent chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick and a 37.2 percent chance of finishing within the top four.

Although the Knicks’ draft record has been more miss than hit in recent years, they’ll have a world of potential at their fingertips this offseason.