NBA: Knicks Coach Confident Of Luring Fresh Blood To New York

The New York Knicks have nowhere to go but up, and head coach David Fizdale plans to show that off in detail to their prospective targets. Among the top names linked to the Knicks include Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, two of the highly coveted stars this coming free agency.

The Knicks are coming off one of their most forgettable seasons in franchise history, ending with a 17-65 win-loss record. While that record could give them a fairly good position in the 2019 NBA Draft, the meat of their offseason rebuilding seems to be centered on tested top talents in the market, Yahoo Sports reported.

Further supporting this reasoning is the fact that the Knicks have enough cap space to sign two max players. David Fizdale revealed plans to make a tempting pitch to their free agent targets as he tries to explain the direction the ballclub is headed to.

"(I’m going to) paint the picture from a coaching standpoint of what the Knicks are becoming," Fizdale said, via SNY. "And try to really make players understand the type of relationship I'm trying to build as a coach and the type of team I'm trying to build to ultimately win a title."

Knowing who will be available in NBA free agency will take some time. Aside from Durant and Irving, there are potentially other names to go after. Some may not be at that expensive top tier level and the new faces will depend entirely on who will fit into the new Knicks philosophy that Fizdale and general manager Scott Perry want in place.

While in waiting, all eyes will be on the NBA Draft where New York has a 14 percent chance of landing a top-two pick, The New York Post reported.

The perennial top pick for the coming NBA Draft is Zion Williamson. The Phoenix Suns have better chances and likely to select him with the first overall pick. If not Williamson, Ja Morant or RJ Barrett are also expected to be among the top selections this coming June 2019.

The Knicks are likely to look at potential players to fill up gaping holes in the roster. The power forward spot and the backcourt need filling up – somehow explaining why Durant and Irving are critical pieces if a deal does materialize. As insurance, the Knicks could get some promising players, meaning scouting reports will be essential in the entire process.