NBA Free Agency Rumors 2017: Will Wizards Keep Otto Porter?
The New York Knicks will be entering this year's offseason with upwards of $20 million in cap space, allowing them to pursue free agents. Add to this the likely departure of Carmelo Anthony, the team will definitely have some important slots to fill.
According to Keith Schlosser of SNY's The Knicks Blog, one of the potential targets of the Knicks is Washington Wizards' Otto Porter Jr., a restricted free agent who many believe will sign a max contract this coming summer. This contract could be worth up to $128.2 million over five years.
Porter averaged 13.4 points on 51.6 percent shooting to go with 6.4 rebounds — all career-highs — and 1.5 assists in 80 games for this season. He also displayed his ability to shoot from long range, achieving another career-best of 43.4 percent from the three-point line.
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According to CBS Sports, the 23-year-old basketball player — while still too early to be considered a star — has had an amazing season for Washington. And considering that every team wants shooters, and they also want tall, long and quick defenders who are capable of playing both forward spots, it is not unlikely that he would get a max offer sheet.
Porter came to the Washington Wizards as a household name in the Washington, D.C. area, having excelled during his collegiate basketball career playing for the Georgetown Hoyas.
His rookie year in the National Basketball Association was not particularly spectacular, having averaged just eight minutes and 2.1 points per game. His minutes though have gone up in each of the four seasons he played in the NBA, and he has also shown significant improvement in his field goal percentage.
While a $128.2 million max contract offer could seem like a gigantic number for a young player who has yet to add an All-Star appearance on his list of credentials, the Knicks might consider taking him in if the New York team wants to reset their lineup and build a team around Kristaps Porziņģis. His addition could give the Knicks a young and rising team to utilize in the 2017–2018 season.
