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With limited roster and cap space, the Knicks made a pretty big gamble about a year ago in free agency.
While using their mid-level exception on Guerschon Yabusele would prove to ultimately be riskier, it was pretty eye-opening to see the team sign Jordan Clarkson, a high-usage, low-shot-quality microwave scorer who had played on a destitute Utah Jazz team for the last three seasons.
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But what the team wanted from him was objectively different than what he had been his entire career. They needed his scoring punch, sure, but they wanted him to be a team player on both ends as a contributing role player. Selfish play, low-quality shots, and poor defensive effort weren’t acceptable here.
It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for Clarkson in New York. He had stretches of brilliance, most notably a strong December, but was also kicked out of the rotation in late January due to his lack of effort.
It was an experiment. Would the grizzled veteran who isn’t used to winning basketball buy in?
When he got his next opportunity, he seized it by doing everything Mike Brown could’ve asked for. The consummate selfish role player bought in and became a champion.
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Fast forward to this offseason, and while the Knicks certainly haven’t ruled out bringing him back next year, it seems like they could go another direction in bringing in one more guard or wing to the roster.
You look at the bench, which is very similar to last year’s, and it looks good, but it lacks the self-created scoring ability that Clarkson possessed. Could they look for a similar archetype?
Well, fortunately for the Knicks, they’ll have options. Outside of Clarkson, there are interesting names on the free agent and buyout market that could fit his role, but with the added risk of buy-in once again.
Bradley Beal and DeMar DeRozan were both once stars of the game. In the late 2010s, they were staples of the Wizards and Raptors, perennially gaining all-star and All-NBA consideration despite their teams always stagnating.
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In both of their careers, they stagnated. Their teams grew frustrated with the lack of progress and sent…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/knicks-strike-gold-twice-jordan-180000809.html
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Publish date : 2026-07-05 18:00:00
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