The New York Knicks have already made a couple additions to their bench depth so far this offseason, signing Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele to fill out the bench. However, another target for the Knicks might not pan out the same way.
The Knicks have been linked to Chris Paul in the early weeks of the offseason. However, any hope of the future Hall of Famer landing in New York continues to dwindle with each passing day.
Latest reporting from Stefan Bondy of the New York Post suggests that Paul wants to remain near his family on the West coast, essentially taking the Knicks entirely out of the equation. Paul has never played in the Eastern Conference in his entire 20-year NBA career, spending time with the New Orleans Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, and the San Antonio Spurs.
Despite his advanced age of 40-years-old, Paul is still a positive contributor in the playmaking department. He appeared in all 82 games this past season for the San Antonio Spurs, and averaged 8.8 points and 7.4 assists per game.
Currently, the Knicks bench features Miles McBride, Tyler Kolek, and Jordan Clarkson as the team’s guard depth behind Jalen Brunson. Adding another playmaker — especially one of Paul’s stature — to the equation is likely a dream scenario for New York.
New York’s bench could probably benefit from Paul’s abilities given how stagnant the second unit’s offense looked at times throughout the season. However, it appears that for now the team will have to venture elsewhere unless Paul has a change of heart and is willing to play on the East coast.