Yahoo Sports Charles Oakley on the Knicks' new roster: 'They got maybe one 'B' and a lot of 'C's'
NBA free agency has been winding down for a while now, and not many people are impressed with the New York Knicks’ latest effort.
As the Brooklyn Nets landed star free agents Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Knicks landed ... power forwards. So many power forwards. In one of the most transformative offseasons the NBA has ever seen, the Knicks barely seemed to move.
That left franchise legend and frequent James Dolan critic Charles Oakley handing out some substandard grades on the team’s new roster.
Charles Oakley not impressed with new Knicks
While speaking with reporters during a Big 3 event, Oakley bluntly evaluated the roster as basically star-less.
From The Associated Press:
“Do they have an ‘A’ player on their team? I don’t think so,” said Oakley, a former Knick who has feuded with Knicks owner James Dolan. “They got maybe one ‘B’ and a lot of ‘C’s.’”
It’s worth noting again that there is no love lost between Oakley and Dolan, but the former Knicks great isn’t alone thinking the Knicks had a rough summer.
That “maybe one ‘B’” on the roster is likely big man Julius Randle, who signed the Knicks’ biggest deal of the offseason with a three-year, $63 million contract.
The rest of the roster, the “C’s,” is an interesting mix of young players and veterans playing on one-year guaranteed deals.
Power forward Bobby Portis, power forward Taj Gibson and power forward Marcus Morris will make a combined $39 million next season, the latter doing so after reneging on a two-year, $20 million deal with the San Antonio Spurs. Also aboard are guards Elfrid Payton, Wayne Ellington and Reggie Bullock, the latter of whom was reportedly pushed by the Knicks into restructuring his deal for less money due to health concerns.
Add that group to a young core of No. 3 overall pick R.J. Barrett, sophomore center Mitchell Robinson and sophomore forward Kevin Knox, and you have, well, a team. We’ll see if it does any damage in the East, or at least sets up the Knicks for flexibility again in the next few rounds of free agency.
Like most fans, Oakley higher on the Nets
Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, the Nets are preparing for their first season with Irving while Durant recovers from his Achilles rupture. Even with Durant sidelined, hopes for the team are the highest they’ve been in years. Oakley is also a fan.
“They hit the Mega Millions and the Powerball,” Oakley said, per the AP.
More from Yahoo Sports:
