NBA Rumors: The San Antonio Spurs, Orlando Magic are two teams that may have their eyes on stealing Immanuel Quickley away from New York Knicks in free agency.
From 1-15, you can make the argument that the New York Knicks have one of the deepest rosters in the Eastern Conference. They may not have the elite top-level talent that some of the other championship contenders have, but one of the reasons why they're even considered one of the better teams in the East is because of their depth.
But the downside to having great depth is that there comes a point where a team simply can't afford to keep them all on the roster, especially if they have plans on making improvements to add star-talent in an attempt to evolve into serious championship contention. That's kind of where the Knicks are arriving.
And one of the biggest decisions that New York will have to make is in regard to Immanuel Quickley's future. He's emerged as a key cog for the team recently but is in line to test restricted free agency next summer. With the Knicks and Quickley failing to reach an agreement on a contract extension before the season, he's far from a guarantee to return next season. If the Knicks can't afford him, there will certainly be plenty of suitors.
2 Teams that could steal Immanuel Quickley away from New York Knicks
According to Heavy.com's Sean Deveney, there are at least two teams that could have their eyes set on one of New York's talented guards as he's inching closer to his free-agency moment. Per the report, the San Antonio Spurs and Orlando Magic could emerge as potential free-agent destinations for Quickley considering they'll have plenty of money to spend during the summer.
Quickley will likely be seeking a big-money deal and if the Knicks aren't in a position where they're willing to give it up, there will certainly be another team on the open market willing to pay Quickley what he believes he's worth.
Quickley will be entering restricted free agency after four seasons with the Knicks. Over the past two seasons, he's truly begun to hit his stride with the Knicks. So far this season, he's averaging 15 points, three assists, and three rebounds per game on 43 percent shooting from the field and 36 percent shooting from 3-point range.
With his ascension over the last couple of seasons, Quickley could be ready for a starting role. If that isn't coming with the Knicks, it may be time for both sides to move on. Maybe it does end up happening after this season.