New York Knicks Rumors: JaMychal Green To Be Signed?

New York Knicks Rumors: Will JaMychal Green Be The Next Player Signed To A 10-Day Contract?

The New York Knicks finalized a contract with Langston Galloway Tuesday, signing him for the remainder of the season and partially guaranteeing his contract for the 2015-2016 season. Two other players, Louis Amundson and Lance Thomas, are currently on 10-day contracts with the Knicks as well, and along with Galloway have been main catalysts in the strong play the Knicks have been putting forth on the court in recent games. Their futures with the team are not as clear as Galloway’s, as they were waived by the Knicks once when they had a chance to have their contracts guaranteed, so it is possible they are not retained beyond the second 10-day contract.

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Another reason could be because the Knicks have their eyes on another player to bring into the fold. That player could be JaMychal Green, a forward on the San Antonio Spurs. He could be had because his 10-day contract with the Spurs runs out Wednesday, and reports from Tuesday are that the Spurs and Green will part ways, making him a free agent again and able to sign with a team of his choosing.

The Knicks are reportedly one of the teams interested in Green’s services, but they will not be alone. According to Marc Spears, the Memphis Grizzlies, Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks and Portland Trail Blazers could all be interested in bringing Green aboard on a 10-day contract.

Spurs didn't sign F JaMychal Green to 2nd 10-day, but he's expected to get FA interest from MEM, NY, CHI, MIL & POR for 10-day, source said.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) January 27, 2015

Of those teams, the Knicks are the only one not in playoff contention, which means they would more than likely offer Green the most playing time to showcase his talents for future contracts. With the Spurs, Green has played a total of 25 minutes in five games. To put into perspective how much time he could get with the Knicks, each player currently on a 10-day contract with the team has come within one minute of that total in a single game. If Green is looking to get run, the Knicks are the best spot.

While he hasn’t had much of a chance to show what he can do with the Spurs, Green was dominating the D-League prior to his call-up. In 20 starts with the Austin Spurs, Green was averaging 23.0 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.6 blocks in 31.5 minutes per game. Those are numbers that could catch the attention of any NBA team looking to add a forward to their roster. The scoring and rebounding averages were good enough to place Green at seventh place in both categories in the D-League.

Green would undoubtedly be given a chance right away to play with the Knicks, much like Galloway, Amundson and Thomas all were. That is one of the things you’re able to do when you have the record the Knicks do; you can give minutes to younger players to speed up the evaluation process.

The question is, will the Knicks sign him? The Knicks currently have a full 15-man roster, so a move would have to be made to open a roster spot to sign Green. There are no obvious candidates to be waived, as every Knicks other than Amundson and Thomas has a guaranteed contract. One option could be a trade. There have been rumors swirling that the Knicks are trying to trade veterans Jose Calderon and Andrea Bargnani, but with both currently injured, it would be tough to move either.

One other player currently in trade rumors that could be moved is Pablo Prigioni. The 37-year old point guard has been linked to the Detroit Pistons, who are in the market for a point guard after Brandon Jennings ruptured his Achilles tendon. If he is moved the Knicks would have the roster spot available to add another player.

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They could also opt to wait until the 10-day contract of either Amundson or Thomas expire, but there is no guarantee that Green will still be available when their contracts expire Friday and Saturday respectively. There is also no guarantee that the Knicks will be willing to let either player leave, as each has been a big part in the recent surge, as Amundson has started the last four games and Thomas started in the Knicks last game in place of Carmelo Anthony.

If the Knicks are serious about bringing aboard Green when his 10-day contract expires with the Spurs, they will have to open up a roster spot as plenty of other teams are interested in adding him also. One other thing the Knicks can do, but is risky, is not make a move now and hope that Green is not retained after one or two more 10-day contracts. That is a risky option, so if the Knicks feel highly enough about adding Green and think he can be a player that can help them in the future, they will do what it takes to open up a roster spot to add him to the team.

Next: 6 Things To Look Forward To For New York Knicks' Second Half Of Season

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