NEW YORK — The Knicks had spent the previous two days creating a baseline for what they hope will be the first steps toward righting the long-struggling franchise, with Leon Rose staging a draft night that satisfied fans, making trades that seemed competent and ripping apart the remnants of last season's roster.
But the work to be done is arduous, and the competition was put on display as the doors to the free-agent market swung open Friday night.
A less-than-star-studded class received an addition when Gordon Hayward opted out of the final year of his contract with the Boston Celtics. The Knicks, like many teams, did their due diligence, and as one of two teams with the salary-cap space to absorb his asking price, they might seem like a fit.
