New York Knicks: 3 reasons to pursue Davis Bertans in free agency
By Chip Murphy
3. He fits the timeline
Davis Bertans is a 28-year-old sharpshooter smack in the middle of his prime. He just had the best season of his career, averaging career-highs in minutes, points, and rebounds. The former San Antonio Spur is a perfect fit for what New York needs to do right now.
The Knicks, as presently constructed, are a rebuilding team. They were the fifth-youngest team in the NBA this season. The average age of their roster when the season ended was 23.9 years old. To add some context, the average age of an NBA roster in 2019-20 was 25.2 years old.
The young players on the Knicks were surrounded by vets on one-year deals gobbling up their shots and playing time. Bobby Portis and Elfrid Payton are nice players, but they weren’t a good fit on that team.
The Knicks need to find the delicate balance between maintaining their salary cap space for 2021 and winning in the short term. Bertans is a player who will help this team win in the short term without compromising their chances at a high profile free agent.
Money and years on every free agent contract should be paramount to the Knicks right now. But every signing doesn’t need to be a one-year deal.