NBA Rumors: New York Knicks Favorite To Sign Mike Conley From Memphis Grizzlies

The New York Knicks off season officially began when the regular season came to an end. The Knicks have missed the NBA Playoffs for the past two years. The team will be looking to sign a superstar this summer. The Knicks have plenty of players on their radar. One of those players the Knicks are interested in is point guard Mike Conley. According to Morning USA News, the belief is that the Knicks are the favorite to sign the former Ohio State Buckeyes star during free agency. New York is one of the few teams with a genuine need for a starting point guard.

Mike Conley was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies. He spent two seasons coming off the bench. After getting the starting gig, he has played a key role for the Grizzlies. Throughout his career, Conley has never been selected to an All Star game. It’s not that he isn’t good but it is because of the point guards in the Western Conference.

The New York Knicks just recently hired Jeff Hornacek to become their new head coach. Some people around the NBA believe that the Knicks are moving in the right direction this summer. If the team can somehow convince Mike Conley to sign with them, they could be a potential playoff team next season. Conley would be a great addition for the Knicks.

Last season, a weakness for the New York Knicks was guard play. The two starting guards for the Knicks were Jose Calderon and Arron Afflalo. Both of those guys were good players, but they weren’t able to push the team to the next level.

Many fans believed that Arron Afflalo would have helped the New York Knicks become a contender for the NBA Championship. Things didn’t turn out well for the two because for the first couple of months, Afflalo was still fighting through an injury. He showed some flashes of being a really good fit for the Knicks. After the team parted ways with former head coach Derek Fisher, Afflalo started coming off the bench. Some people believe this was the Knicks’ way of telling Afflalo he wasn’t going to be a part of the team’s future.

The New York Knicks are expected to have at least $18 million to spend in the off season. If Arron Afflalo does decide to opt out of his current contract, the Knicks will have around $26 million. That would be more than enough money for them to offer Mike Conley a maximum contract.

The New York Knicks were ranked 26th in the league in terms of assists per game last season. The top play maker for the team was Carmelo Anthony. The All Star led the way with 4.2 assists per game.

The point guards for the New York Knicks are Jose Calderon and Jerian Grant. Calderon will be turning 35 this season. He’s on the tail end of his career. Grant has shown some promise last season, but he’s not ready to be the Knicks’ starting point guard.

New York Knicks general manager Steve Mills recognizes this problem. He has stated “It’s clear we need a lead guard, someone that can really carry the load, day in and day out. That’s something that I think is one of our biggest needs.”

The New York Knicks will be trying to make some big moves during the off season. The team feels that they already have their front court lineup set. They will be looking to add some help in the back court. The addition of Mike Conley might be able to push the Knicks back into NBA Playoffs next season.

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