In the event the Knicks miss out on their main free agent targets -- Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard -- they are thinking about "extending a considerable one-year offer" to free agent DeMarcus Cousins, reports Marc Stein of the New York Times.
SNY's Ian Begley previously reported that the Knicks don't plan to commit long-term money to a player that isn't on the list of their top targets, adding that they are more likely to pursue short-term contracts to maintain cap flexibility if they miss out on Durant, Leonard, and Kyrie Irving. A one-year deal for Cousins would fit that philosophy.
The 28-year-old Cousins signed a one-year deal with the Warriors last offseason that paid him $5.337 million.
With free agency just three days away, the Knicks have already set up meetings with Durant and Leonard and have already decided to not extend qualifying offers to Emmanuel Mudiay and Luke Kornet -- allowing New York to keep as much cap space as possible open.
Meanwhile, as the Knicks pursue Leonard, Begley reported Wednesday that multiple teams are open to the idea of pairing the NBA Finals MVP with fellow free agent Jimmy Butler.
With all of the above going on, Begley reported Wednesday that the Knicks are "keeping an eye" on the situation of the Celtics' Terry Rozier, with the team potentially having to renounce his rights if they sign free agent Kemba Walker.