So far during the NBA offseason, the New York Knicks have added Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele in free agency. Both players project to be key role players for the team during the upcoming 2025-26 season.
After a great year in 2024-25 that ended with an Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Indiana Pacers, the Knicks are hungry to get back to that point and make another jump into the NBA Finals. In order to do that, the team made a major decision to begin the offseason.
Gone is former head coach Tom Thibodeau. Following the series loss to the Pacers, New York decided that it needed to go in a different direction.
Now, Mike Brown is the team’s new head coach. He will have a different philosophy that will likely include much more usage of the bench.
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To that end, there are many who believe that the Knicks could still have a move or two up their sleeve.
One potential player to keep an eye on is former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook. New York has also been connected as a possible suitor for former No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons.
With that being said, NBA analyst Rachel Nichols believes that Westbrook would be a great target and fit for the Knicks.
“That’s a team that needs a guy like him. That actually has a slot for a guy like him. I think he would flourish in New York,” Nichols said. “I think New York fans would love him, and I think he would be able to fill that sort of vet energy role really well.”
Westbrook remains a free agent. He played the 2024-25 NBA season with the Denver Nuggets and was a key role player alongside of Nikola Jokic.
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Throughout the course of the year, Westbrook played in 75 games and made 36 starts. He averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game, while shooting 44.9 percent from the floor and knocking down 32.3 percent of his three-point attempts.
At 36 years old, Westbrook isn’t the player that he was when he won the NBA MVP award back in 2017. However, he’s still capable of bringing energy to the court and can both score and create shots for his teammates.
On a one-year deal, Westbrook would be well worth the risk for New York. He’s a name worth watching as the offseason progresses.
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