The New York Knicks currently have three players under contract to play in the backcourt. Langston Galloway and Jose Calderon return with the newly drafted Jerian Grant. That is not enough to cut it for Carmelo Anthony which is causing the team to look at other options in free agency. While Phil Jackson continues to get linked to trade deals for other players, could a familiar face be joining the team again?
According to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, the New York Knicks are reportedly considering pursuing free agent Jeremy Lin this summer. Could there be a Linsanity Part 2 coming to the Big Apple? Knicks fans might not like the sound of this, but realistically it would not be a bad move for New York. The team has a potential star in the making with Galloway along with backup in Calderon and Grant. Lin would be coming into a situation where he does not have to be the star of the show and can instead focus on coming off the bench where he excelled in the first place.
The Knicks are looking for help at the point guard position. They proved that true when they seriously considered acquiring Eric Bledsoe during the NBA Draft. According to Ian Begley of ESPN New York, the Knicks were in discussions with both the Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics about working out a trade that included sending the point guard to New York. Bledsoe would be a huge upgrade to anyone New York has on the roster at the moment, but expensive to acquire.
The Knicks have also been linked to Ty Lawson out of the Denver Nuggets. According to the Denver Post, the Nuggets are aiming to ship the point guard out especially after drafting Emmanuel Mudiay. Lawson would be easier to get than Bledsoe would, but the Knicks are also running out of tradeable assets to get a deal done.
Could a free agent be the best option? With salary cap space to burn, the Knicks could chase players on the market or restricted free agents. According to ESPN Dallas' Tim MacMahon, Rajon Rondo will likely be forced into taking a smaller contract which could entice the Knicks to make a move. New York has been interested in Rondo for some time and could try and sign him on a short-term contract with the potential of bigger earnings when the salary cap increases. Patrick Beverley and Reggie Jackson could be looking to do the same and would also be point guard upgrades.
