Shocking free-agency rumor could derail NBA offseason for New York Knicks

A recent NBA free-agency rumor could end up derailing the offseason for the New York Knicks.

Even though the New York Knicks' season fell short of making a return to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 24 years, it's hard to not look back at this season as a success. New York took another step forward in the Eastern Conference, finishing as the No. 2 seed in the regular season standings and probably making the conference finals if they are healthy.

Heading into the offseason, the Knicks are a team that should feel strongly about their standing among the rest of the East. And if they are able to make the right moves this summer, there's no question New York is going to emerge as one of the favorites heading into next season.

All that said, there may be a little doubt that has crept into the Knicks' situation with the start of the NBA offseason on the horizon.

According to a recent report from plugged-in NBA reporter Jake Fischer, it's not as "cut and dried" that OG Anunoby is going to re-sign with the Knicks this offseason. Fischer notes that there's a growing belief that Anunoby could consider other deals in free agency.

The New York Knicks must handle the offseason with the utmost care

If this is indeed the approach that Anunoby is heading into the offseason, it could cause quite the chaos and, perhaps most importantly, it could end up throwing a huge wrench in New York's plans this summer. Not only might they have to balance this recent piece of information on Anunoby, but they also need to find a way to re-sign Isaiah Hartenstein and work on a potential contract extension for Jalen Brunson. New York must do all that while also keeping their eyes open for a potential upgrade to their roster.

In short, the Knicks could very much be on the verge of a much more complicated offseason than perhaps they originally thought it would be.

Despite this report, it would still be incredibly surprising if Anunoby didn't end up re-signing with the Knicks. However, the fact that this report is even out there can't give New York a warm feeling. It's abundantly clear that the Knicks will have to approach the NBA offseason with absolute care and attention to detail.

New York appears to be in a good spot heading into the summer. One mishandling of a situation could completely change the aura surrounding this team heading into next season. Either way, it should prove to be an interesting storyline to follow over the next few months.