- The New York Knicks are trying to create a strong roster for the upcoming season.
- They have currently signed five out of the six free agents they wanted.
- General Manager Scott Perry is excited about the new additions to his team.
NEW YORK – The New York Knicks have signed five new players to their 2019-2020 roster. These signees are all a part of the Knicks plan to rebuild their team into a dynamic set of players on the court. With all of the new faces on the team, the franchise just might have a shot at the finals this year, which is the endgame for Perry and Knicks fans everywhere.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Wayne, Taj, Elfrid, Bobby, and Julius to New York,” said General Manager Scott Perry in a statement. “Collectively, we’re adding a mix of extremely talented and experienced multi-dimensional players who will improve our team as we continue building out a deep and versatile roster. These players are all tough-minded, motivated and ready to compete, and we’re excited to have them as part of the Knicks family.”
What Players Were Signed?
Julius Randle, a 24-year-old power forward/center from the New Orleans Pelicans signed a three-year deal with the Knicks for a reported $63 million dollars. Randle is six foot nine and 250 pounds. During his one season with the Pelicans in 2018, Randle was able to bank some major stats to his record. He averaged over 25 points per game in a total of 49 games. Being as young as he is, he has still not hit the peak of his career which could result in some majors gains for the Knicks this season.
Bobby Portis, a 24-year-old power forward from the Washington Wizards signed a two-year contract with the New York Knicks for $31 million dollars. He is the tallest player to be signed by the team at six foot eleven and 250 pounds. In over 50 games last season, Portis was able to average over 14 points a game. Portis spent his 2018-2019 season split between the Chicago Bulls and the Washington Wizards. During his first game for the Wizards, he scored 30 points to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 119-106.
Power forward Taj Gibson inked a two-year deal for $20 million dollars with the New York Knicks. Gibson, 34, is one of the older players to join the franchise. Gibson stands tall at six foot nine and weighs 232 pounds. Playing two seasons for the Minnesota Timberwolves and starting in 139 games while playing in 152 games during his time as a Timberwolf. He averaged over 10 points per game last season.
Shooting guard Wayne Ellington, 31, from the Detroit Pistons has signed on with the Knicks for two years. His contract is worth $16 million dollars. Ellington is six foot five and weighs 200 pounds. For the 2018-2019 season, he played with both the Miami Heat and the Detroit Pistons. In Miami, he played in 25 games and averaged over 8 points a game. While playing for Detroit, he took the court in 28 games and averaged 12 points per game.
Twenty-five-year-old point guard Elfrid Payton signed a two-year deal for $16 million dollars with the team. Payton is six foot four and weighs 185 pounds. He played his 2018-2019 season with the New Orleans Pelicans. He started all 42 games that he played in and averaged over 10 points per game while with the Pelicans.
Reggie Bullock was supposed to be the sixth player to sign with the Knicks, however, his contract is being given a second look. Bullock is a 28-year-old shooting guard/small forward from the Los Angeles Lakers. He is six foot seven and weighs 205 lbs. During his stint with the Lakers, he played in 19 games and averaged over 9 points a game. He originally had a two-year contract for $21 million dollars with the Knicks set to be signed but he has sustained multiple injuries throughout his four-year professional career history-making New York rethink the contract.
SportsBettingNewYork.com knows the New York Knicks are far from done signing new players to their team. They still have $27.5 million dollars at their disposal to do with as they wish. They have been given 16-1 odds to win the NBA Championship for the 2019-2020 season and with these new players on their team, they might just have a shot.