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New York Knicks: 2016 Offseason Grades

By Gerald Bourguet

Mar 24, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) shoots the ball past New York Knicks center Robin Lopez (8) during second half at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks won 106-94. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 24, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) shoots the ball past New York Knicks center Robin Lopez (8) during second half at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks won 106-94. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports /
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New York Knicks
Jan 2, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Brandon Jennings (7) gestures after a basket during the third quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Detroit Pistons won 97-81. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /

Jennings Joins

The Brandon Jennings acquisition is hard to judge because the bargain price tag ($5 million) and incredibly short length (one year) would make this an absolute home run if not for Jennings’ recent decline in health and with his game in general.

Still, the Knicks needed a backup point guard after jettisoning Calderon and Grant (and losing Langston Galloway to the New Orleans Pelicans in free agency).

Getting a former talent like Jennings at that price is a steal under the new salary cap, provided he can bring at least some of the skills he once showcased before injuries and too many new situations derailed his career.

Though he’s only 26 years old and is entering his eighth NBA season, Jennings will be suiting up for his fourth team and is coming off the worst season of his career, averaging 6.9 points and 3.5 assists per game on .368/.329/.731 shooting splits in his 48 appearances for the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic.

If those numbers aren’t gross enough for you, consider that over the last two seasons, Jennings has played in only 89 of a possible 162 games over the last two seasons. Simply put, he hasn’t been the same since his ACL tear ended his 2014-15 campaign two Januarys ago.

Perhaps a change of scenery on a playoff-competitive team might provide Jennings with a little more stability, but no one should forget that he’s only shot better than 40 percent from the field in two of his seven NBA seasons.

This is a low-risk, medium-reward kind of move. The cap space is negligible and the length of the contract makes cutting ties easy if it doesn’t pan out, but between Rose, Noah and Jennings, New York’s training staff might be busier than ever in 2016-17.

Grade: B

Next: Re-Signing Sasha

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