The New York Knicks made a run to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. They were not far away from being NBA champions, but came up short against the Indiana Pacers.
Following the loss in six games in that series, the Knicks made the decision to fire head coach Tom Thibodeau. To replace him, New York recently made the decision to hire Mike Brown. He’s a good pickup and a coach that will bring a different philosophy to the franchise.
So far this offseason, the Knicks have made a couple of new additions. They have signed scoring guard Jordan Clarkson and forward Guerschon Yabusele.
While both of those moves are quality depth additions, New York could still use another piece or two. How about a superstar guard like Damian Lillard?
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Lillard has hit the open free agency market after being waived by the Milwaukee Bucks following their move to sign Myles Turner. He is still recovering from the torn Achilles that he suffered in the first round of the playoffs against the Pacers, but there is optimism that he could return around the All-Star break.
Taking a flier on Lillard could make a ton of sense for the Knicks.
New York insider Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News has urged the team to consider the option. He thinks it could be a match made in heaven.
“The Knicks could sign Lillard, who will continue to collect checks from the Milwaukee Bucks after they waived him from the roster and stretched the balance of his contract over five years, and help a Top-75 player return from a ruptured Achilles,” Winfield wrote.
“Worst-case scenario: Lillard recovers, misses the entire season, then becomes an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2026. Best-case? Lillard returns to action after the mid-February All-Star break, and the Knicks pull off the heist of a century, picking up one of the best scoring guards in league history on an injury discount.”
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During the 2024-25 NBA season before a blood clot issue ended his regular season early, Lillard played in 58 games. He averaged 24.9 points per game to go along with 7.1 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.2 steals. Lillard also shot 44.8 percent from the floor and 37.6 percent from three-point distance.
There would not be much risk in offering him a one or two-year deal. He could be the missing piece that powers New York to being a championship caliber team.
Expect to hear more about Lillard in the near future. The Knicks might be a potential destination for him.
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