Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Knicks Possibly Out Of Veteran Point Guard Market

July 11th 2017 at 8:49pm CST by marksuleymanov

After using their room exception to re-sign point guard Ron Baker, the Knicks are possibly out of the running for a veteran point guard, Newsday’s Barbara Barker writes. With Baker in tow, New York’s cap space sits at around $1.5MM, which gives the team little room to sign reported targets such as Rajon Rondo and Derrick Rose.

Rondo met with the Lakers earlier today and Rose has been connected to teams such as the Mavericks, Bucks, and Spurs. In Rose’s case, the former NBA Most Valuable Player has made his interest in returning to New York apparent — but there may not been enough money for a reunion.

In Baker’s case, the Wichita State product received a two-year, $8.9MM deal, an impressive total for a player who ended up with the Knicks as an undrafted free agent last year. In 52 games (13 starts)  in 2016/17, Baker averaged 4.1 PPG, 2.1 APG, and 1.9 RPG while showing intensity on both sides of the ball. Baker was a personal favorite of since departed team president Phil Jackson.

As Barker notes, it’s not unlikely for the Knicks to enter the season with Baker as the starting point guard. The 24-year-old is the most experienced point guard on the team as 2017 first round pick, Frank Ntilikina will turn 19 years old at the end of the month. The Knicks are unlikely to give their young guard the starting role so soon and that’s the reason the club has been rumored to seek an experienced asset at the position.

Trade talks surrounding the team’s superstar Carmelo Anthony are ongoing and could pave the way for added cap space. However, until Anthony is shipped elsewhere — or bought out — the Knicks have little cash to entice free agents.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0
View Comments (7)