JULY 14, 8:54am: The Knicks have officially signed Ndour, the team announced today (via Twitter).
JULY 13, 12:27pm: Only the first year of Ndour’s deal with the Knicks will be fully guaranteed, a source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post.
11:12am: The Knicks have agreed to bring another player stateside from a European team, according to international basketball journalist David Pick, who reports (via Twitter) that the team has reached a two-year deal with Real Madrid forward Maurice Ndour. The pact, which figures to be for the minimum salary, will be guaranteed, per Pick.
Ndour went undrafted out of Ohio University in 2015, but he made a strong impression as a Knicks summer-leaguer last year, averaging 9.6 points and 4.8 rebounds in 23.4 minutes per contest across five appearances. The Knicks tried to get Ndour to back out of the commitment he made to the Mavs, who formally signed him about a week after his final summer league game, but were unable to convince him.
Ndour ultimately ended up being waived by Dallas and found his way to Real Madrid for the 2015/16 season. A year later, the Knicks finally have their man, adding him to a group of free agent signees that includes Lithuanian forward Mindaugas Kuzminskas. The club also locked up draft-and-stash prospect Willy Hernangomez, a Spanish center.
Since Kuzminskas got the Knicks’ room exception, and the team doesn’t have any cap room left, the minimum-salary exception is the only way New York can continue to add free agents. Ndour would earn $1,448,720 on a two-year, minimum-salary contract.
Since Ndour signed a rookie deal last year doesn’t he qualify for a 1-yr vet minimum this time around, $.874636M?
My understanding is that he didn’t get credit for a year of service last year since he was waived before the regular season began.
My comp for him was Willie Reed. He played his first games last year but was earning a 2-yr vet’s salary. He’d previously had an end of season deal with SAC (didn’t play) and an offseason deal with BRK (waived before opening night).
In Reed’s case, he was actually on a team’s roster during the regular season twice (Kings in 2013/14, Grizzlies in 2012/13), despite not getting into a game, which would explain his two years of “experience.” I believe a player has to be on a team’s regular-season roster for just a day to get credited with that year of experience, so I don’t think Ndour fits the bill. Will keep an eye on it when his deal becomes official though, to make sure.
Thanks for clarifying I bet you’re right on. Bkref didn’t shoe the Grizz deal among his transactions so I missed that one.
He seems like a solid piece at a low price. Interested NO let him go.
Solid move for the Knicks, I liked him last year in summer league