The Knicks are turning down their 2019/20 team option on shooting guard Billy Garrett, reports Michael Scotto of The Athletic (via Twitter).
The move doesn’t come as a surprise. Even if they don’t land their top targets in free agency, the Knicks want to maximize their cap room, and clearing Garrett’s modest $1,416,852 option from their books creates a little bit of added flexibility.
Garrett, 24, made his NBA debut in April for the Knicks, posting 6.5 PPG and 1.8 APG in four games (15.8 MPG) for the club down the stretch.
Garrett will technically be eligible for restricted free agency since he only has one year of NBA experience under his belt, but New York almost certainly won’t tender him a qualifying offer since that QO would also eat into the club’s cap space. The former DePaul standout will instead be on track for unrestricted free agency.