In a shortened off-season that has already seen the Knicks involved in their share of blockbuster dealings, add the signing of Baron Davis to their list. Baron Davis has committed to sign with the New York Knicks. Sources indicate that Davis flew into New York on Sunday night and is expected to be at the Knicks facility on Monday to finalize his contract.
Davis cleared waivers Friday after he was released through the amnesty clause in the new labor agreement by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Davis and the Knicks have agreed to a one-year deal worth $2.5 million, which is the maximum New York could pay in using what is known as the "mini" mid-level exception for luxury-tax teams.
It remains to be seen how soon Davis will be able to play for the Knicks thanks to a back injury that the Cavaliers, upon releasing him, believed would sideline the former All-Star for eight to ten weeks. Despite the back injury, the Knicks aggressively pursued and courted Davis as they were desperate to upgrade their backcourt situation.
Sources say Davis, 32, always intended to make a decision well before he's physically able to play so he can familiarize himself with the team's playbook and personnel and settle into his new home. It is interesting to note that Davis regards playing at Madison Square Garden on par with playing for the Lakers in terms of his lifelong dreams.
Roughly $27 million of the nearly $30 million left on Davis' contract is guaranteed. The Cavs still have to pay Davis that money even after sending him away, but the new amnesty clause -- unlike the 2005 version -- give teams salary cap relief as well as tax relief on a player released via amnesty.
The immediate priority for Davis is getting healthy. The back injury has kept Davis off the floor since training camps opened last week and Davis' agent, Todd Ramasar has stated that "Baron is out a minimum of eight to ten if there's no setbacks in his physical therapy."
Knicks add depth
The team has penciled in Toney Douglas as its starting point guard and Mike Bibby as a backup, but with Douglas lacking experience and Bibby coming off of a subpar playoff run with the Miami Heat, the Knicks have been interested in bringing in Davis as another option at point guard.
One of the main weaknesses of the Knicks following the Chandler deal was their perceived lack of depth, specifically their bench scoring. With the addition of Davis, and the hope that he can get himself into game shape relatively quickly (conservative estimates has him playing in or around March), the Knicks may have added an integral piece to their championship puzzle.
Will this move put them over the top? Have they now solved their bench deficiencies? Only time will tell.
Source:
http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/7365817/baron-davis-new-york-knicks-agree-deal-sources-say
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