Landry Fields: Why the New York Knicks Should Let Him Walk

Originally written for Bleacher Report.

Landry Fields was offered a contract worth $20 million over three years by the Toronto Raptors and has since agreed. The New York Knickswill have three days after the moratorium is lifted to match the offer but it would be a big mistake.

Fields had a really nice senior year at Stanford with averages of 22 points and 8.8 rebounds before being drafted by the Knicks with the 39th pick in the 2010 NBA Draft.

As a rookie, he appeared in every game and started all but one with averages of 9.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and one steal. His sophomore season would be a major disappointment.

In his second season, he appeared in every game again but saw his shooting percentages plummet across the board, with just 46 percent from the field, 25.6 percent from three and 56.2 percent from the free-throw line.

He averaged less points and a full 2.2 rebounds less per game and for some reason the Raptors decided to take a stab at him for almost $7 million a year.

According to 82games.com, Fields was outperformed at every position he played. Opposing shooting guards accumulated a 53.2 effective field goal percentage against him while outscoring him by 6.2 points per-48 minutes.

He didn’t fare much better against small forwards as he shot worse and was outscored by them as well.

At 6’7″ is he a big shooting guard or a small forward? Is he an offensive player that can’t shoot or a defensive player that can’t defend? Either way it’s going to be Toronto’s issue if the Knicks know what’s best for them.