LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA – SEPTEMBER 19: Gordon Hayward #20 of the Boston Celtics plays after being injured during the first quarter against the Miami Heat in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on September 19, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The New York Knicks are making their first big splash of the Leon Rose era with the hot pursuit of Gordon Hayward.
What will it take for the Knicks to break out of the two-decade funk they’ve been in?
Prying Gordon Hayward away from the Boston Celtics is certainly among the answers the Knicks front office is considered.
According to Marc Stein, the Knicks aren’t simply interested in Hayward they’re in aggressive pursuit of him.
“Amid a growing belief leaguewide that Hayward will decline his $34 million player option for next season, New York may loom as Hayward’s best option given all the Knicks’ newfound cap space,” Stein reported on Thursday.
Prying doesn’t sound like the right verb to use when it comes to the Knicks getting Hayward. Rumors about Hayward’s future in Boston — or lack thereof — have picked up rapid pace over the last 48 hours with it looking almost certain that he’ll be in a new uniform when the new season tips off.
For once, this seems like a positive offseason for New York. While the hiring of Tom Thibodeau and his outdated approach to a modern game remains questionable, it seems there’s finally an adult in the front office. Leon Rose put together a draft class that so far hasn’t elicited too much trepidation from Knicks fans (beyond the normal amount, which is pretty high, to begin with) and cleared cap space on Thursday by jettisoning six veterans including Taj Gibson and Bobby Portis.
The move now seems like preparation to make way for Hayward but it’s not the only move Rose seemingly has up his sleeve. Malik Beasley hit the trade block on Thursday, and the Knicks were one of a handful of teams mentioned as being interested.