Knicks · How will Knicks fill void left by Kidd? (page 1)

Knicks GM Glen Grunwald can add one more item to his offseason to-do list: find a replacement for Jason Kidd.

Kidd retired Monday after a 19 years in the NBA. Grunwald is now tasked with finding a player to take his place on the Knicks' roster. And if you think that it will be easy to replace Kidd, you might want to reconsider.

Remember, Kidd brought a wealth of knowledge to the Knicks' locker room. That will will be impossible to replicate. And even though he struggled in the postseason, the 40-year-old still played a major role in New York's blistering start to the 2012-13 season.

So if you were Grunwald, who would you go after to replace Kidd?

Clearly, re-signing Pablo Prigioni is a bigger priority for the Knicks in light of Kidd's retirement. But Grunwald also needs to find a reserve guard to take Kidd's roster spot.

Let's take a look at a few options:

THE DRAFT

The Knicks have the 24th pick in the NBA craft. Most predict that they will go after a guard or big man. Here are two backcourt options who could serve as a replacement for Kidd on the roster:

Shane Larkin: Larkin, a sophomore out of Miami, wowed personnel people with his athleticism at the Chicago combine. He might not be available by the time the Knicks get to pick; many draft experts predict Larkin will go before 24. But if he is there, the Knicks would be adding a quick player with solid shooting range who sees the floor well and has active hands on defense. One weakness? At 6 feet and 171 pounds, Larkin is a bit undersized, which could be an issue at the next level.

Isaiah Canaan: Like Larkin, Canaan, a senior from Murray State, is a solid shooter. So he could potentially knock down the open looks that Kidd was missing in the playoffs. He also has a good wingspan (6-5) and is a strong, physical player, which should benefit him on defense.

Canaan is widely projected as a late first-round pick and could be available to the Knicks at 24. Canaan's size -- he's 6-0, same as Larkin -- could be an issue at the NBA level.

FREE AGENCY

Barring a trade, the Knicks won't have much to offer free agents. They'll have the mini-mid-level exception (a three-year deal worth approximately $3 million annually) or a minimum contract to sign a free agent.

So they won't be able to lure any upper-tier guards to fill in for Kidd.

Here are a couple options:

Will Bynum: Bynum put up solid numbers for a struggling Pistons team last season (9.8 points per game on 47 percent shooting, 3.6 rebounds per game). He made $3.25 million last year, so he'd be accepting a paycut to sign with the Knicks. Would New York place enough value on Bynum to sign him to a multiyear deal via the mini-mid-level? It's also worth noting that the Knicks might have to split the mini-mid-level exception to re-sign Prigioni and Chris Copeland.

Aaron Brooks: His contract is not guaranteed for next season, so the Rockets might choose to move him or cut him as they continue to free up cap space in their pursuit of Dwight Howard. Brooks averaged 7.1 points on 45 percent shooting and 2.2 assists per game in limited minutes for Sacramento and Houston last season. He has a $2.5 million option, so it is unclear if he would agree to a veteran's minimum contract. And the Knicks are unlikely to eat into their mini-mid-level exception to bring Brooks in.

Nate Robinson is another option, though he comes with baggage from a previous stint with the Knicks and might be out of their price range.

Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/knicks/...

Doubtful Shane Larkin will be available at 24.

Draft or free agency. We need more backcourt speed!

Clean wrote:Kidds replacement needs to be able to consistantly break down the defense. It would be ideal if he could hit and open shot, but I doubt we will be able to get a PG that can do both with what we can offer.

I agree, we had two PGs in Prigs and Kidd who rarely took it to the rim. Indy took away our 3 pt shooting, and we had no answer for the most part.

AnubisADL wrote:

Knicks GM Glen Grunwald can add one more item to his offseason to-do list: find a replacement for Jason Kidd.

Kidd retired Monday after a 19 years in the NBA. Grunwald is now tasked with finding a player to take his place on the Knicks' roster. And if you think that it will be easy to replace Kidd, you might want to reconsider.

Remember, Kidd brought a wealth of knowledge to the Knicks' locker room. That will will be impossible to replicate. And even though he struggled in the postseason, the 40-year-old still played a major role in New York's blistering start to the 2012-13 season.

So if you were Grunwald, who would you go after to replace Kidd?

Clearly, re-signing Pablo Prigioni is a bigger priority for the Knicks in light of Kidd's retirement. But Grunwald also needs to find a reserve guard to take Kidd's roster spot.

Let's take a look at a few options:

THE DRAFT

The Knicks have the 24th pick in the NBA craft. Most predict that they will go after a guard or big man. Here are two backcourt options who could serve as a replacement for Kidd on the roster:

Shane Larkin: Larkin, a sophomore out of Miami, wowed personnel people with his athleticism at the Chicago combine. He might not be available by the time the Knicks get to pick; many draft experts predict Larkin will go before 24. But if he is there, the Knicks would be adding a quick player with solid shooting range who sees the floor well and has active hands on defense. One weakness? At 6 feet and 171 pounds, Larkin is a bit undersized, which could be an issue at the next level.

Isaiah Canaan: Like Larkin, Canaan, a senior from Murray State, is a solid shooter. So he could potentially knock down the open looks that Kidd was missing in the playoffs. He also has a good wingspan (6-5) and is a strong, physical player, which should benefit him on defense.

Canaan is widely projected as a late first-round pick and could be available to the Knicks at 24. Canaan's size -- he's 6-0, same as Larkin -- could be an issue at the NBA level.

FREE AGENCY

Barring a trade, the Knicks won't have much to offer free agents. They'll have the mini-mid-level exception (a three-year deal worth approximately $3 million annually) or a minimum contract to sign a free agent.

So they won't be able to lure any upper-tier guards to fill in for Kidd.

Here are a couple options:

Will Bynum: Bynum put up solid numbers for a struggling Pistons team last season (9.8 points per game on 47 percent shooting, 3.6 rebounds per game). He made $3.25 million last year, so he'd be accepting a paycut to sign with the Knicks. Would New York place enough value on Bynum to sign him to a multiyear deal via the mini-mid-level? It's also worth noting that the Knicks might have to split the mini-mid-level exception to re-sign Prigioni and Chris Copeland.

Aaron Brooks: His contract is not guaranteed for next season, so the Rockets might choose to move him or cut him as they continue to free up cap space in their pursuit of Dwight Howard. Brooks averaged 7.1 points on 45 percent shooting and 2.2 assists per game in limited minutes for Sacramento and Houston last season. He has a $2.5 million option, so it is unclear if he would agree to a veteran's minimum contract. And the Knicks are unlikely to eat into their mini-mid-level exception to bring Brooks in.

Nate Robinson is another option, though he comes with baggage from a previous stint with the Knicks and might be out of their price range.

Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/knicks/...

Doubtful Shane Larkin will be available at 24.

Id have to imagine the Knicks are very hot for Erick Green. Hes a step in player who has a ton of confidence and comes from the ACC so his transition should be pretty quick. Also Nate Wolters is right on par. Hes a tall penetrating PG who I think has more longer term potential than Green. I think Green might be a more ready to play guy than Wolters --but I would choose between these two. I like both of these guys better than larkin anyway.

ChuckBuck wrote:Easy.

Draft or free agency. We need more backcourt speed!

I dont see us keeping Prigioni either. Hes a limited player who will be 36 or 37? Plus we would likley have to dip into the mLE and we cant do that for Prigioni.

AJ Price and DJ Augustine are my favorites via FA.

Larkin, Canaan, Green, and Wolters can all bring something similar via draft.

BRIGGS wrote:

ChuckBuck wrote:Easy.

Draft or free agency. We need more backcourt speed!

I dont see us keeping Prigioni either. Hes a limited player who will be 36 or 37? Plus we would likley have to dip into the mLE and we cant do that for Prigioni.

Respect Prigioni, but we need someone in the backcourt unafraid to pull the trigger when they're open from 3.

I can't remember how many layups Pablo passed up either...

I respect his game, but we need a point that'll be a little more "selfish".

BRIGGS wrote:Id have to imagine the Knicks are very hot for Erick Green. Hes a step in player who has a ton of confidence and comes from the ACC so his transition should be pretty quick.

I dont see Erick Green being a good NBA player.

I assume the Knicks will try to trade for a backup PG and Draft BPA. The Knicks bench looks terrible.

AnubisADL wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:Id have to imagine the Knicks are very hot for Erick Green. Hes a step in player who has a ton of confidence and comes from the ACC so his transition should be pretty quick.

I dont see Erick Green being a good NBA player.

I assume the Knicks will try to trade for a backup PG and Draft BPA. The Knicks bench looks terrible.

I think Nate Wolters might end up being the best PG in this draft and a top 5 player--but thats me and its not happening in year 1. Hes a back up this year who also will have some good scoring games off the bench. VERY under rated PG skills and 6-5.

3G4G wrote:We'll probably sign Jamal Tinsley to a 3yr deal....YUM YUM!!!

+1

Baron Davis, we love us some vets.

Vmart wrote:

3G4G wrote:We'll probably sign Jamal Tinsley to a 3yr deal....YUM YUM!!!

+1

Baron Davis, we love us some vets.

My guess is one vet one draft pick. I would still like them to get Muscala first and see if we can find a high 2 or another low round 1 for a PG. We need both.

he looks super slow in all the youtube clips and you need speed at PG

AnubisADL wrote:

Knicks GM Glen Grunwald can add one more item to his offseason to-do list: find a replacement for Jason Kidd.

Kidd retired Monday after a 19 years in the NBA. Grunwald is now tasked with finding a player to take his place on the Knicks' roster. And if you think that it will be easy to replace Kidd, you might want to reconsider.

Remember, Kidd brought a wealth of knowledge to the Knicks' locker room. That will will be impossible to replicate. And even though he struggled in the postseason, the 40-year-old still played a major role in New York's blistering start to the 2012-13 season.

So if you were Grunwald, who would you go after to replace Kidd?

Clearly, re-signing Pablo Prigioni is a bigger priority for the Knicks in light of Kidd's retirement. But Grunwald also needs to find a reserve guard to take Kidd's roster spot.

Let's take a look at a few options:

THE DRAFT

The Knicks have the 24th pick in the NBA craft. Most predict that they will go after a guard or big man. Here are two backcourt options who could serve as a replacement for Kidd on the roster:

Shane Larkin: Larkin, a sophomore out of Miami, wowed personnel people with his athleticism at the Chicago combine. He might not be available by the time the Knicks get to pick; many draft experts predict Larkin will go before 24. But if he is there, the Knicks would be adding a quick player with solid shooting range who sees the floor well and has active hands on defense. One weakness? At 6 feet and 171 pounds, Larkin is a bit undersized, which could be an issue at the next level.

Isaiah Canaan: Like Larkin, Canaan, a senior from Murray State, is a solid shooter. So he could potentially knock down the open looks that Kidd was missing in the playoffs. He also has a good wingspan (6-5) and is a strong, physical player, which should benefit him on defense.

Canaan is widely projected as a late first-round pick and could be available to the Knicks at 24. Canaan's size -- he's 6-0, same as Larkin -- could be an issue at the NBA level.

FREE AGENCY

Barring a trade, the Knicks won't have much to offer free agents. They'll have the mini-mid-level exception (a three-year deal worth approximately $3 million annually) or a minimum contract to sign a free agent.

So they won't be able to lure any upper-tier guards to fill in for Kidd.

Here are a couple options:

Will Bynum: Bynum put up solid numbers for a struggling Pistons team last season (9.8 points per game on 47 percent shooting, 3.6 rebounds per game). He made $3.25 million last year, so he'd be accepting a paycut to sign with the Knicks. Would New York place enough value on Bynum to sign him to a multiyear deal via the mini-mid-level? It's also worth noting that the Knicks might have to split the mini-mid-level exception to re-sign Prigioni and Chris Copeland.

Aaron Brooks: His contract is not guaranteed for next season, so the Rockets might choose to move him or cut him as they continue to free up cap space in their pursuit of Dwight Howard. Brooks averaged 7.1 points on 45 percent shooting and 2.2 assists per game in limited minutes for Sacramento and Houston last season. He has a $2.5 million option, so it is unclear if he would agree to a veteran's minimum contract. And the Knicks are unlikely to eat into their mini-mid-level exception to bring Brooks in.

Nate Robinson is another option, though he comes with baggage from a previous stint with the Knicks and might be out of their price range.

Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/knicks/...

Doubtful Shane Larkin will be available at 24.

True, other than the Pacers, which other team need a pg.

3G4G wrote:We'll probably sign Jamal Tinsley to a 3yr deal....YUM YUM!!!

Lmao.

Caseloads wrote:you really think Nate Wolters will be good?

he looks super slow in all the youtube clips and you need speed at PG

I think Nate is going to be real good.