Much of what the New York Knicks will achieve (or fall short of) in the offseason will be attributed to their 2019 No.2 draft pick RJ Barrett.
According to SNY's Ian Begley, the choices that the ‘Bockers front office decides to employ will revolve around how certain players will mesh with Barrett.
“Several people in touch with decision-makers at [Madison Square Garden] say they expect that the Knicks will take a player’s fit with [and] impact on RJ Barrett into account when considering a potential move,” Begley wrote in his latest mailbag.
The Knicks have naturally been linked to multiple, hot trade targets along with upcoming free agents. As one of the few teams with money to spend, the Big Apple will likely be looking to do things right this time when considering a talent such as Barrett's.
Chris Paul, a name that has often surfaced as a player likely to land with the Knicks, could be beneficial for Barrett on the court while also serving as a mentor. Other players like Victor Oladipo would possibly have to be monitored in terms of how they could benefit Barrett versus being a hindrance.
At 19, Barrett turned in a decent rookie season for the Big Apple franchise, averaging 14.3 points along with 5.0 rebounds per game. New York wasn't able to generate much success off of Barrett's efforts, however, as they finished 12th in the Eastern Conference.
As the Knicks look to obviously lock Barrett up long-term, this could prove to be a pivotal offseason in that regard.
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