The Knicks have suffered a lot of bad news today. The day after Chris Paul was traded to the Clippers, Jamal Crawford has decided to sign with the Portland Trail Blazers, Shawne Williams has decided to sign with the New Jersey Nets, and free agent Baron Davis will be sidelined for at least 8 weeks.According to Crawford, his mom wanted him to go to Portland, which added to the fact that the Knicks couldn't offer him as much money. His deal is reportedly worth $5 million for one year.
The Knicks gave Williams a lowball qualifying offer, neglected him to persue Crawford, and ended up losing out on him all together. His deal with the Nets is reportedly worth $5 million over two years.
On top of that, Baron Davis' back injury is more serious than everyone thought. Sources say that he will be out for a minimum of eight weeks. That means he'll be playing on February 9, 2012 at the earliest. He reportedly has a herniated disc in his back.
As insult to injury (no pun intended), Reggie Williams, who was considering signing with the Knicks, agreed to terms with the Bobcats yesterday on a two-year deal.
Yesterday and today were not good days for the Knicks.
Now, the Knicks have very few options on who to sign. They could sign Maurice Evans, an injured Baron Davis (who wouldn't be available until midway through the season), or someone else.
Right now is when the Knicks should get creative. There are some free agents that come to mind that are risky, but could help bring a title to New York this season:
Allen Iverson: He hasn't played in the NBA since 2010, but is still supremely talented. At 36, he isn't too old to make a difference and be a contributor. He is also desperate and would presumably be willing to sign at the veteran's minimum. The NBA needs to give AI another chance and I hope the Knicks are the team to do it.
Gilbert Arenas: He cleared waivers after being waived by the Magic via the amnesty clause and is officially an unrestricted free agent. Legal troubles, injuries, and lack of playing time have given him a bad reputation and shadowed his talent. If the Knicks give him a chance and enough minutes, he could shine and lead the Knicks to glory in the postseason. However, Arenas is reportedly interested in the Heat.
Rodney Stuckey: Stuckey balked at the Pistons' offer of $40-45 million over 5 years, so you wouldn't think that the Knicks would have any luck with Stuckey, but if both sides thought outside-the-box, he could be their savior. Stuckey is obviously trying to get the most money he can possibly get, but if he signs with the Knicks for less money on a one-year deal, he could showcase his talent in a bigger market, maybe bring a title to NY, and then go for the money in 2012. That being said, there isn't much of a chance at all of this happening.
Travis Outlaw: He is being amnestied by the Nets after a disappointing season in the first year of a big contract. However, he has shown that he can help teams win. He averaged over 10 points in less than 30 minutes a game in two separate seasons (07-08 & 08-09) with the Blazers. He is only 27 years old.
Andrew Gonzalez: He was the 7th leading scorer in the nation last season at Houston Baptist University with 22.9 points per game. The key to winning basketball games is to score more points than the other team and Gonzalez can score. Just something to think about. Also, since he would be a rookie, he'd be really cheap and the Knicks would save money.
DeShawn Stevenson: He helped the Mavericks win the championship last season with Tyson Chandler and I think he's better than Maurice Evans.
Hopefully, tomorrow will be better for Knicks fans.
Have any thoughts on the Knicks losing out on Jamal Crawford and Shawne Williams? Who should the Knicks sign? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.
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