The New York Knicks are going into the season a little banged up as only 15 players are on the roster, including three two-way players in Jacob Toppin, Ariel Hukporti and Kevin McCullar Jr.
This means that the Knicks have three open roster spots going into the season, and with Mitchell Robinson and Precious Achiuwa also sidelined for the start of the year, the team could use another player.
The Knicks were hoping Landry Shamet could contribute as well, but a shoulder injury led to a long-term absence and subsequent release from his non-guaranteed contract.
Another player who was recently released from his non-guaranteed deal was Lonnie Walker IV, who was let go just a few days ago by the defending champion Boston Celtics.
Walker, 25, had a good training camp for the Celtics, who are one of the deeper teams in the league and had a roster spot that he could have taken. However, it would have forced the Celtics to dip into the luxury tax, costing far more than what his original contract was worth.
Walker should be on an NBA roster, and the Knicks could be an option given their recent injury woes.
Walker wouldn’t play a significant role for the Knicks. In fact, he may not even be in Tom Thibodeau’s 10-man rotation if he went that deep, but New York is about to embark on a long season, and having some depth on the wing could prove to be important down the line.
The Knicks wouldn’t have to completely empty their pocketbooks for Walker, but offering him a minimum deal that would likely have gone to Shamet would be a sound idea for the team as it looks to add some veteran experience and distance shooting.