The New York Knicks could be on the cusp of making the NBA's next big breakout.

To get over that hump, though, they might have to find another star. They could have the trade chips to do just that with a strong collection of draft picks, prospects and salary-fillers at their disposal.

Even if the 'Bockers snag a big name, though, they should still be on the hunt for reliable, cost-effective role players. Anyone unable to understand the significance of those needs look no further than the Miami Heat, who have seemingly uncovered a cheap spark plug every night during one of the most improbable NBA Finals runs in history.

When the Knicks go hunting for bargain ballers this summer, the following three names should have their attention.

Patrick Beverley

Before weighing the merits of a possible Patrick Beverley pursuit, let's address that elephant in the room: His 2022-23 season was rough.

His stats sagged across the board and left him shouldering one of the least-productive lines of his career: 6.2 points on 40/33.5/72.3 shooting and 2.9 assists in 27.1 minutes per night.

Those numbers could mean one of two things. One, it's possible he's just cooked. His 35th birthday is coming in July, and you've surely heard all about Father Time's unblemished record.

The alternative, though, is what might pique the Knicks' interest. Maybe he just needs a change of scenery to get himself back on track; and if that's the case, then that statistical decline could be a blessing in disguise, since it's likely to keep his contract cost low.

If Beverley just rediscovers his touch from range—33.9 percent the past two seasons, 39.3 percent the six previous campaigns—he could be a tone-setting defender who won't dominate the basketball and will convert a lot of the clean looks he gets.

Considering there aren't many touches to go around in an offense featuring Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle and RJ Barrett, that could be a valuable skill set to have.

Max Strus

While Max Strus has engineered a few major moments during Miami's playoff run, you can still make the case that free agency isn't coming at an ideal time for the 27-year-old swingman.

Hitting the market just one year sooner would have meant fielding offers after a campaign in which he shot 41 percent from distance on 6.5 attempts per outing. Going there now, though, means he needs suitors to put more stock in his old shooting rates than his current ones (41 percent overall, 35 percent from distance).

While he's more than a shooting specialist—he can attack a hard closeout off the dribble and isn't a lost cause on defense—that's the skill that will get him paid. And unless this playoff run dramatically moves his market (it shouldn't, since his postseason shooting slash is only at 41/33.3/79.2), that skill won't cost what it would have a year ago.

The Knicks, as you may have heard a time or 10 before, desperately need to find more shooters this summer. Strus may be one of the better ones available, provided he can recapture the form he flashed last season.

Yuta Watanabe

Regardless how Josh Hart's free agency plays out, the Knicks would help themselves by adding to their wing depth.

Specifically, they need wings who won't dominate the ball, can stroke it from three and defend at a high enough level to earn coach Tom Thibodeau's trust.

Yuta Watanabe fits the bill.

The 28-year-old is a 6'9", 215-pound ball of energy with enough hustle and athleticism to make plays at both ends. And while he has never shot the three-ball with much volume, he is coming off a season in which he hit 44.4 percent of his long-range looks and a ridiculous 51.4 percent of his corner treys.

If the Knicks trust his shooting, then they should give chase.

While his skill set could have wide-ranging appeal, his quiet box-score production could have his contract clearance-priced. This was the most productive season of his career, but Watanabe still averaged just 5.6 points in 16 minutes per night and was squeezed out of a rotation role when the Brooklyn Nets overloaded their wing collection at the trade deadline.