The New York Knicks may be on the road to contention quicker than expected if Kristaps Porzingis would develop at his current rate.
However, the team needs a quality point guard and it is expected that the Knicks will be major players for Memphis Grizzlies' Mike Conley in the offseason.
The only caveat is that Conley may also be as locked-up to the Grizz as center Marc Gasol was last summer. The Knicks also had their eye on Gasol, but he did not even set meetings. As the Memphis Grizzlies recover from their bad start, the chances of prying away Conley goes dim.
One solid option for the Knicks may be Kemba Walker. The former Connecticut standout is a Bronx native and declared to ESPN that he would be "thrilled to be a Knick."
"I haven't thought about it but it would definitely be special definitely to have MSG as my home," he said.
A trade that will send Arron Afflalo and Jose Calderon for Kemba Walker checks out on Real GM trade checker and this could be considered later in the season, precipitated on the decision of Charlotte Hornets Nicolas Batum.
Batum is playing like an All-Star this season, and he will command huge money this summer. If the Hornets start to think that Batum may seek some insurance at the two guard spot in Afflalo. They still have solid point guards like the two Jeremys (Lamb and Lin) over Calderon.
The Hornets will battle to keep Batum, but the Knicks may also offer a good argument if they get to the playoffs. The "Durant losers" will definitely look at the Frenchman as a viable alternative.