NBA Rumors: 3 bold predictions for New York Knicks' 2021 NBA offseason

#2 Elfrid Payton, Frank Ntilikina and Kevin Knox will be gone

Elfrid Payton #6 dribbles as Devonte' Graham #4 defends

Elfrid Payton wasn’t the answer at the starting point guard position for the New York Knicks this past season, with fans and the media criticizing Thibodeau for continuing to stick with the 27-year-old.

Don’t expect him to return to the Knicks next season after he was benched in the last three games of the first round of the playoffs.

Elfrid Payton might need to work on that stroke 😬 pic.twitter.com/tpIAp6ta54

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) December 27, 2019

After his playing time regressed to 9.8 minutes a game from 20.8 the year before, Frank Ntilikina will be gone from the roster in the offseason. Rookie Immanuel Quickley overtook him in the rotation because of Ntilikina’s inconsistent performances. Entering his fifth season, the New York Knicks are likely to move forward with another player who can fill his spot.

The same is true for Kevin Knox. After a promising rookie season, Knox has not developed into the player that the New York Knicks thought he could be. Over his three-year career, he is averaging 36.9 percent from the field, an atrocious shooting percentage that shows he hasn’t grasped the NBA game up to now.

The Knicks want to make a deep playoff run, and Knox just doesn’t work in their timeline.

The Knicks could put together a trade using any or all three to get a center to back up Robinson next season.

#1 New York Knicks will land Lonzo Ball

Lonzo Ball #2 shoots the ball over Anthony Edwards #1

Lonzo Ball is the biggest name the New York Knicks will likely land in the offseason. According to a recent report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the New Orleans Pelicans are unlikely going to match “a significant offer sheet” for the restricted free agent Ball.

The Knicks will come knocking on Ball’s door and offer him around $20 million a year which is the market for his services. After two seasons in New Orleans, the 23-year-old guard is ready to head back and play for another big market team, and they don’t get bigger than the New York Knicks.

Our @ShamsCharania gave the inside scoop on Lonzo Ball's situation. pic.twitter.com/FtYA9Z4zmG

— Stadium (@Stadium) July 16, 2021

Ball is an excellent defender and a highly improved 3-point shooter (37.8% in 2020-21). He can run an offense and make defenses pay for leaving him open at the 3-point arc, something that you can't say about him in his first three years in the league. He had eight 3-pointers in a game twice this past regular season and made seven threes in two other contests.

He recorded a career-high 14.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game in his best campaign so far. Ball would help ease the load on Julius Randle’s shoulders after the New York Knicks big man averaged a career-best 6.0 assists per contest, leaving the 2021 M.I.P. to focus more on scoring and rebounding.