New York Knicks: 2016 Offseason Grades
Re-Signing Sasha
On a one-year contract worth the veteran minimum, Sasha Vujacic can hardly be considered an expense. As long as Hornacek isn’t feeding him too many minutes (read: any minutes), Vujacic’s Triangle expertise could come in handy for New York’s bevy of new guards.
Unfortunately, his familiarity with the Triangle and relationship with Phil Jackson is pretty much the only reason he’s lasted this long in the NBA, let alone secured yet another contract with the Knicks here in 2016, the year of our Lord.
So, basically without Phil Jackson, Sasha Vujacic wouldn't have a career.
— Machine Pun Kelly 🇺🇦 (@KellyScaletta) July 12, 2016
To be fair, Vujacic isn’t entirely worthless. He shot a decent 36.4 percent from three-point range on the year, and over the last few weeks of the season, he actually lived up to his billing as an honest-to-God useful veteran.
Vujacic led the team in Net Rating the final 15 games of the season (+4.2), next best was Calderon at 1.8, everyone else was a negative.
— Jared (@JMintzWords) July 12, 2016
Vujacic provides a bit of backcourt depth for a team that will be relying on the injury-prone Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings, so bringing him back on a veteran minimum deal is certainly defensible.
Here’s hoping Jackson and/or Hornacek don’t get any ideas about playing him behind Courtney Lee at the 2-spot over the newly acquired Justin Holiday.
Grade: C
Next: Odds And Ends