10 Free Agents New York Knicks Should Pursue in Offseason

The New York Knicks are expected to make a splash in free agency.

With $40.5 million on the books according to HoopsHype, New York will have the opportunity to add talented players to its roster.

Ideally, the Knicks would sign LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Love or Marc Gasol, but the odds of the men leaving their current teams isn't in New York's favor. 

There are other athletes available, however, who will impact the Knicks and turn the franchise's fortunes around. 

The Knicks need a big man who can score, rebound and pass the ball well and consistently, and Greg Monroe fills those needs. 

The 6'11", 250-pound 24-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, and he's highly attainable. 

Monroe is a tremendous fit for the triangle offense. He has a soft touch from the field and is a good passer for a big man. New York could use him on the high post, the block and in pick-and-roll situations. 

This season, for the Detroit Pistons, Monroe is posting the following stats: 14.4 PPG, 9 RPG and 1.7 APG. He's a good complement for Carmelo Anthony and will fill a void as a No. 2 option. 

The 6'8", 253-pound Paul Millsap has been a great piece for the Atlanta Hawks.

The power forward is contributing 16.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Millsap may be a little tougher to acquire due to Atlanta's success this season, but anything is possible.

Although Millsap is a little undersized as a 4, he's an excellent scorer and a solid teammate who can help relieve Carmelo Anthony of his scoring duties. Millsap is a career 50.5 percent shooter from the field, and he can score on the block and from the mid-range. 

Millsap will also be a little more affordable than some of the other options on the market. He's currently making only $9.5 million this season, via Basketball-Reference.com. 

Although he's not the best offensive player, DeAndre Jordan fills a glaring need for the Knicks as a defensive presence who can anchor the middle, alter shots and grab rebounds. 

The 6'11", 265-pound center is posting 13.7 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game for the Los Angeles Clippers this season. 

Jordan is a lousy free-throw shooter, knocking down only 42.3 percent of his shots from the foul line, but he's strong around the rim and finishes lobs consistently. 

Bringing in Jordan will address New York's poor interior defense and deliver a shot-blocking presence that hasn't been present since Tyson Chandler's departure. 

Swaying Jordan to leave the Clippers may be challenging, but it isn't impossible. New York may need to pay up a little more than the franchise would like, but Jordan is the best defensive big man on the market. 

The 6'11", 245-pound 22-year-old Enes Kanter is a very appealing athlete.

He'll be a restricted free agent and therefore may be a little costly, but he's developing into an excellent center who can be trusted offensively. 

Kanter is scoring a career high 14 points per game while grabbing 7.3 rebounds. He's not much of a shot-blocker, swatting a measly 0.4 shots per game, but his talent on offense is intriguing. 

The young center doesn't fill New York's defensive needs, but he would assist New York on offense. 

Reggie Jackson is having a great year for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The 6'3", 208-pound point guard is having a career year, scoring 15.7 points per game and dishing 5.1 assists while grabbing 4.4 rebounds. The 24-year-old is a restricted free agent, however, but he could potentially be acquired in a sign-and-trade for Iman Shumpert.

According to ESPN.com's Chris Broussard, the Thunder have expressed interest in Shump in the past, and a swap could be arranged.

Jackson is an energetic scorer who can push the tempo and play well in the half court. Jackson is an OK shooter with plenty of room to grow. 

New York needs a floor general with promise, and Jackson fills that need. 

Robin Lopez may be tough to pry away from the Portland Trail Blazers, but the 7-footer is a good defender and rebounder who can help shore up New York's struggles at the 5.

Per game, Lopez is scoring 9.6 points, grabbing 7.2 rebounds and blocking 1.5 shots. 

He's a solid player who can be relied upon to help anchor a defense and protect the rim. New York is thin at the 5, and bringing in someone dependable like Lopez would better position the organization moving forward. 

The 26-year-old isn't a star by any means, but he's solid enough to sign at the right price. If New York doesn't need to overpay for him and the Knicks miss out on some of the more attractive targets, Lopez would be a decent consolation prize. 

It might be tough to convince Danny Green to leave the San Antonio Spurs, but the 27-year-old shooting guard was born in New York and may be open to returning home. 

The aging Spurs may also hesitate to offer Green the kind of contract he desires. The 6'6", 215-pound shooting guard is having a career year, scoring 12.5 points per game. 

Green is a role player, but he has the type of range and consistency on his jump shot that the Knicks need for the triangle to run smoothly. He's shooting 40.3 percent from behind the arc on 6.1 attempts per game, but he has been known to show up in big games, as he has done during the Spurs' trips to the NBA Finals. 

The Knicks need more perimeter scorers, and Green fits that mold. If he can be signed at a fair contract, he'll be a tremendous asset for head coach Derek Fisher. 

The Knicks need a point guard, and few players available are better than Goran Dragic. 

The lefty is scoring 16.9 points and dishing four assists per game this season for the Phoenix Suns. Dragic has a solid jump shot and is an efficient scorer, knocking down 50.2 percent of his shots from the field. 

Although he's in a decent situation with the Suns and is playing alongside his brother, Zoran, Phoenix has a logjam at the 1, and Dragic may be interested in pursuing a new challenge with greater responsibilities. If the Knicks can sign Dragic, he'll be an outstanding fit for the triangle offense and could step in right away to run New York's offense and relieve Carmelo Anthony of some scoring duties. 

An addition of Dragic and a big man like Monroe would be an outstanding offseason for the Knicks. New York will also have Iman Shumpert, who can be used in a sign-and-trade to bring in someone like DeAndre Jordan if there is mutual interest to really round out the roster. 

It took a while for Brandon Knight to find his stride, but the 23-year-old point guard is having his best season thus far.

Per game, Knight is scoring 18 points, contributing 5.1 assists and grabbing 4.5 rebounds for the Milwaukee Bucks. 

The 6'3" guard possesses great quickness and can get to the rim with ease. The Knicks need a guard who can get to the rim and create for his teammates. Knight has been a little inefficient at times, turning the ball over 3.5 times a game, but if he can be strong with the ball, he'd be a solid fit for New York.

Knight fits in well with the triangle offense, and if the Knicks miss out on some of the other more attractive 1s, at a reasonable price, Knight could be worth pursuing. 

The Knicks need more consistency out of the 2, and Wesley Matthews could be the guy to do so. 

The 28-year-old shooting guard is putting up 16.8 points per game on 47.9 percent from the field. It might be tough to convince him to leave the Portland Trail Blazers, but they may or may not be willing to pay Matthews what he could potentially receive. 

Matthews is 28 and will be looking to ring the register on a payday, as he isn't getting any younger, and Portland will have its hands full with max contracts due to LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard in the near future. 

A sign-and-trade could possibly be arranged by swapping Matthews for Iman Shumpert. The Knicks will be getting a little older in that deal, but the consistency Matthews offers helps the franchise more than the enigmatic Shumpert does.