One of the more underrated players for the Knicks this past season was center Nerlens Noel, who was a first-round draft pick back in 2013 by the Philadelphia 76ers. Unfortunately for Noel, injuries have hindered his career to a degree but has played 60+ games over the past three consecutive seasons, proving his reliability and defensive prowess.
With Mitchell Robinson being the team’s starting center, Noel didn’t anticipate being such a focal point during the 2020 campaign — he ended up starting in 41 games after Robinson suffered fractures to his hand and foot.
The Knicks signed Noel to be one year, $5 million deal, and with non-Bird rights this off-season, they could increase his pay the $6 million for the 2021-22 season without dipping into cap space on the additional $1M increase.