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New York Knicks News: Ricky Ledo Signed To 10-Day Contract

By Kenneth Teape

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New York Knicks News: Ricky Ledo Signed To 10-Day Contract

The New York Knicks had an open roster spot for a while now, as many people thought that they were holding it for 2014 second round pick Thanasis Antetonkoumpo. That seems to no longer be the case, as the Knicks have signed free agent guard Ricky Ledo to a 10-day contract according to ESPN New York’s Ian Begley.

This is a signing that will raise the eyebrows of plenty of Knicks fans, but it is one that makes sense. If they were to sign Antetonkoumpo, they would have to sign him for next season as well, limiting some of the roster flexibility and money they have available to them. In Ledo, the Knicks do not have to commit anything beyond the 10-day contract they signed him to if they do not want to. It also gives them another chance to look at a young player that could have gone overlooked by other teams.

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Ledo is from the 2013 NBA Draft and was originally a selection by the Milwaukee Bucks before ending up on the Dallas Mavericks via multiple trades that were previously agreed upon. He never received much of a chance with the Mavericks though, as the veteran laden team had no minutes available for a young player like Ledo. He has played only 44 minutes in two seasons with the Mavericks, appearing in 14 games. He was released earlier in the month so that the Mavericks could make room for Amar’e Stoudemire, whom the Knicks bought out.

In the NBA D-League Ledo has been a much more productive player when given the chance. In 26 games with the Texas Legends, 23 of which were starts, in the 2014-15 season, Ledo has strong averages of 15.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He has done it rather efficiently as well, making 44.6 percent from the field. That number is all the more impressive when you account for the four three-pointers he attempts per game, making 1.2 per game for 28.8 percent.

For the Knicks, Ledo will have an excellent opportunity to be the next player to make a name for himself under very little pressure. Already this season fellow D-League alum Langston Galloway has made strides with the Knicks, Alexey Shved has turned into a competent basketball player and Andrea Bargnani has flashed the skills the Knicks had hoped he would bring from the Toronto Raptors when they traded for him last season.

There should be no shortage of minutes for Ledo right off the bat either, as the Knicks are extremely short handed. Carmelo Anthony is already out for the season, and Jose Calderon looks to not be far behind in joining him on the sidelines. Tim Hardaway Jr. is also struggling with a nagging wrist injury, and Cleanthony Early is now also sidelined.

With the Knicks record where it is, they are in the process of evaluating players to see how they fit into their future plans. Giving a 10-day contract to a player with the talent of Ledo, someone they were actually interested in during the 2013 draft, just goes along with what the plan has been since they fell out of the playoff race. Who knows, maybe they have another Shved or Galloway on their hands. If not, the Knicks can just send him back to free agency as quickly as they took him off of it.

Next: Who is the best point guard in Knicks history?

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