After the Knicks get through the draft on Thursday night, their attention will turn fully to free agency.
We know that the Knicks will still have interest in Kevin Durant, who is expected to miss next season as he rehabs from an Achilles injury.
They are also going to be aggressive in their pursuit of NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported earlier this week that Leonard is focused on signing with the Los Angeles Clippers but that re-signing with Toronto remains a possibility.
The Raptors can offer Leonard an extra year (five) and around $50 million more in total than any other suitor, including the Clippers.
So it seems like the Knicks are a long-shot to sign Leonard. But people around Leonard saw New York as a potential destination for him when he was orchestrating a trade from San Antonio.
And some people around Leonard still see New York as a potential destination for the two-way star, per league sources.
The Knicks have roughly $70 million in cap space, enough to sign Leonard and another top free agent this summer.
But, no matter how those around him feel, the decision Leonard makes in free agency will be his alone. And, according to reports, New York isn't a top option for him at the moment.
There is an off-the-court element here that may help the Knicks' case, though.
Leonard lost the ability to sign a super max extension when he was traded from the Spurs. That contract would have paid him roughly $219 million over five years. So if he and his group are looking to recoup some of that lost money in off-the-court earnings, New York may provide an advantage.
There is theory that endorsement money is available regardless of market, but some within the industry still believe there are more opportunities to capitalize on marketing and endorsement opportunities in bigger markets.
In that case, New York has clear advantages over Toronto. And New York, it would seem, would be more advantageous that Los Angeles because Leonard would be with the Clippers - the less recognizable of the two LA franchises. And the Lakers would feature two super stars in LeBron James and Anthony Davis.