The New York Knicks need help in the back court, and now they have made a move to solidify their rotation.
According to multiple reports, the Knicks have signed Atlanta Hawks guard Tim Hardaway Jr. to a four-year, $71 million restricted free agent offer sheet.
Dealing now with a roster that looks completely different from just a few years ago, the Hawks have two days to respond to the offer sheet.
Via Twitter:
Atlanta RFA Tim Hardaway Jr. has signed a four-year offer sheet with the New York Knicks, league sources tell The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 7, 2017
Story with @Ianbegley: Restricted free agent Tim Hardaway Jr., has signed a 4-year, $71M offer sheet with New York.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 7, 2017
The Hawks have planned on matching Tim Hardaway Jr.'s offer sheets, & here comes test: 4 yrs, $71 million offer sheet signed w/ NY. ESPN 1st
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) July 7, 2017
Knicks' offer sheet to Tim Hardaway Jr. is $71M-plus and has final year salary of nearly $19M. Hawks have 2 days to decide whether to match. https://t.co/6kau6yaiVw
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 7, 2017
New York will need to renounce the $29.7M FA cap hold of Derrick Rose to sign Tim Hardaway Jr. with room.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) July 7, 2017
With @wojespn, Knicks' offer sheet to Tim Hardaway Jr. contains a 15% trade kicker, league sources told ESPN. 4th year is a player option.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) July 7, 2017
Hardaway Jr. averaged 14.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per-game for the Hawks last season.
On the face it’s hard to make sense of this deal. Hardaway Jr. has made some slow improvement in his four years in the league, but hasn’t shown enough of a standout talent to garner this kind of contract. In comparison, Portland guard Allen Crabbe signed a similar deal last season as a much better 3-point shooter and with the potential to become a good defender over time. And, at the moment, even that contract has felt like it was too rich..
Despite an exorbitant cap, this feels like an overpay. Hardaway Jr. spent the first two seasons of his career in New York, so they have some familiarity with him already, but at the moment this does not look like a fiscally sound investment for either team.
