2019 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
Bobby Portis: 2 years, $31 million (New York Knicks)
Free agent Bobby Portis has agreed to a two-year, $31M deal with the Knicks, agent Mark Bartelstein tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2019
This really isn’t the free agency period New York Knicks fans were expecting, and after reaching agreements with Julius Randle and Taj Gibson already, it’s a bit curious they would go out and sign yet another power forward in Bobby Portis.
However, positions in the NBA are more fluid now, especially in the frontcourt. All three can spend time as small-ball 5s, so even though that could infringe on Mitchell Robinson’s playing time a little, it’s far less cumbersome to his development than a DeMarcus Cousins signing would have been.
On a two-year deal that won’t break the bank, the Knicks are getting a hard-working big who knocked down 40.3 percent of his 3s after being traded to the Washington Wizards. He posted 14.3 points and 8.6 boards per game in that time, so although he’s hardly the big fish Knicks fans were hoping for, it was time for the front office to acknowledge — although maybe not publicly — that that ship has sailed.
Grade: B-