Say it ain’t so, Phil. According to a report by the NY Post, the Knicks are entertaining the thought of bringing back Andrea Bargnani next year.
There are many reasons for Knicks fans to despise this possibility. Bargnani has basically been an embarrassment the moment he walked into the Garden. His mere existence is a walking scarlet letter of the old Knicks regime.
The Knicks dealt an unprotected 2016 first rounder for the Italian Stallion. The general manager at the time was Glen Grunwald. However, I respect Grunwald too much to assume he was the main driver behind this move – he did bring in Tyson Chandler. I think the move had more to do with the ever powerful CAA agency that represents Bargnani. Leon Rose is the same agent that represents Carmelo Anthony, and I’ll bet he had more than one voice in Dolan’s ear.
Bargnani’s time in New York has been nothing short of disastrous. Pegged as a key scoring piece on a potential playoff team, he never lived up to his $12 million contract. He’s a seven footer who can’t average 6 rebounds a game, and insisted on taking inefficient shots from downtown. On top of that, he plays minimal defense. Basically he’s everything that New York fans hate – overpaid and no smarts or hustle. Nothing would make Knicks fans happier than a quick departure from Bargnani.
However, lets look at the other side of the coin for a second. The Knicks are trying to adopt an offensive scheme that encourages its forwards to hit mid-range jumpers to spread the floor. This is something Bargnani actually excels at.
With next year’s salary cap projected at $66.5 million, the Knicks will have about $34 million to work with. That should be good for almost two max contracts. Right now, I fully expect the Knicks to get the two best players possible, on top of an incoming rookie. That would leave the Knicks with about 8 filled roster spots (Carmelo, Calderon, Hardaway Jr., Early, Galloway, Draft Pick, FA1, FA2). Essentially we would have to fill the remainder of the roster using the mid-level exception and minimum contracts.
As much as it pains me to say this, I would welcome back Bargnani on a minimum contract next year. Let’s face it, we’re going to need quality backups, on top of those 8 players, who can contribute right away. Bargnani can actually score. Despite the perception, he has averaged 13 points a game the last two seasons. While he should never be a main cog – as he was in Toronto and New York – he can be a formidable rotational player. His ability to spread the floor in the triangle also doesn’t hurt his cause.
The Knicks need to start making value moves going forward. As bad as the perception is of Bargnani, its actually a good thing for next year. His market value has been driven into the ground. If he can be had for the veteran minimum, let’s take a big gulp and dive in. Its a low-risk, medium-reward situation that could add valuable depth next year.