10:41am: The team won’t re-sign Fredette, league sources told Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link), not long after Berman heard the Knicks weren’t expected to bring him back (Twitter link).
12:20am: The Knicks appear unlikely to re-sign Jimmer Fredette after his 10-day contract expires at the end of Wednesday, and they’ve decided to take a pass on signing Ty Lawson, who’s poised to become a free agent in the wake of his buyout from the Rockets, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post. Lawson is nonetheless one of the team’s “possibilities” for summer free agency, Berman writes.
New York is meanwhile eyeing Ray McCallum, who’s on waivers until 4pm Central time Wednesday following his release from the Spurs, Berman adds, lending some clarity to earlier reports. The Knicks recently met with free agent Tony Wroten, as Frank Isola of the New York Daily News heard.
Fredette scored four points in a brief three-minute cameo Tuesday, just his second appearance for New York since signing February 22nd. The team has a specific interest in young players, coach Kurt Rambis said, so that would help explain the appeal of Wroten, 22, and McCallum, 24, as opposed to the 27-year-old Fredette and 28-year-old Lawson. The Knicks reportedly spoke with the Rockets about trading for Lawson before last month’s deadline, but New York’s playoff hopes have faded as they’ve lost 15 of their last 18 games. The expiration of Fredette’s deal will create a lone open roster spot, with 14 other Knicks signed through season’s end. New York has only the minimum salary to give out to free agents.