The New York Knicks made their major moves in trading for Andrea Bargnani and signing back JR Smith and Pablo Prigioni and with a few more minimum contract options out there, the team has focused on possibly signing Austin Daye as an unrestricted free agent.
According to ESPNNewYork.com, Daye was in town for a workout after not being given a qualifying offer by the Memphis Grizzlies, leaving him a free agent to sign with anyone he chooses. So far the talk on Daye has been cool, but after working out with the Knicks he has been in talks with a number of teams and could be a nice addition to the bench. Daye didn't get much playing time last season while averaging 4.5 points and 2.2 rebounds for the Grizzlies and Pistons.
The Knicks need some extra depth on the bench and despite not doing much after being a first round pick, Daye could be a good addition to the roster. The 25-year-old is still young and has potential to grow and since the Knicks have some depth issues in spots, he could help that despite his career averages of 5.8 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. While the team isn't going to play him for long stretches anyway, his 36 minute averages come out to 13.1 points and 6.5 rebounds, something the Knicks could try to build on.
Some other options for the Knicks include Kenyon Martin, who was with the team last year and was rumored to be close to returning. Martin is an older player, but he can give some solid minutes off the bench and can help with rebounding and defense in spots as well. The 35-year-old looked good at times last season and while he doesn't score much, he gives the team an attitude on defense that they will need as they try to knock off the Miami Heat.
Some names that aren't getting as much play include the 24-year-old Cole Aldrich and while he has been on three teams since being drafted in 2010, the Knicks could be a nice fit for the center. Teams that were in the running for Greg Oden may go after him and after the Knicks basically couldn't go after him anyway because of money, Aldrich could be a solid defender to take up minutes in the middle.
Sebastian Telfair was mentioned when the Knicks were still unsure of bringing back Prigioni, but now that Nate Robinson signed with the Nuggets he could be back in the fold after waiting out the free agent period. Telfair is 28-years-old and he was playing okay before being moved from the Suns to the Raptors and now he is a free agent waiting for a call. The Knicks made a run to the playoffs last season and now they are hoping to get to the title game and they will need a solid bench in order to knock off Miami.
