Knicks Rumors: 10 Underrated Free Agents for the New York Knicks to Pursue

After an adventurous 2011-12 season, the Knicks appear to have a solid nucleus in place with Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler, Iman Shumpert and Jeremy Lin. Lin, a restricted free agent, is almost certain to re-sign the team. Without a first round pick in next week's draft, the Knicks must turn to the free agent market to fill out their bench.

The Knicks received great news Friday afternoon regarding their ability to sign free agents; an arbitrator ruled that Lin and Steve Novak retained their "Early Bird Rights" when they were claimed off waivers. This will enable general manager Glen Grunwald to go over the salary cap to re-sign them, while maintaining at least $3 million of the mid-level exception to add other players.

Even so, the Knicks will have several roster spots to fill. In addition to wooing big-name veterans like Steve Nash and Ray Allen, Grunwald must target cheap, undervalued free agents. The Knicks' biggest needs are a veteran point guard to compliment Lin, a low-post scorer and defender and scoring off the bench.

These are 10 underrated free agents who would be able to help the Knicks.

10. Ivan Johnson

Johnson broke into the NBA this season at the age of 27 and provided a few eye-opening performances off the bench for the Atlanta Hawks.

The 6'8'' forward attended four different colleges and bounced around several leagues due in part to "anger management issues" and was fined $25,000 by the NBA in May for giving a Celtics fan the finger.

The Knicks could use a little ferocity off the bench and the Garden crowd would love Johnson's blue-collar work ethic.

9. Marco Belinelli

Belinelli developed into a productive spot-up shooter off the bench during his two seasons with the New Orleans Hornets.

The Italian could spread the floor for Stoudemire, Anthony and Lin and would be a nice consolation prize for the Knicks if they are unable to re-sign Novak.   

8. Louis Amundson

Louis Amundson is not going to score 20 points per night, but much like Knicks' free agent Jared Jeffries, he contributes in ways that do not show up on the stat sheet.

Amundson's a high energy player who amps up the defensive intensity every time he steps on the floor. He could fill Jeffries' role as a valuable back-up to Stoudemire and Chandler.  

7. Kirk Hinrich

Hinrich has lost a step or two since his days with the Bulls, but the savvy veteran could still bring a lot to the table as a back-up point guard.

The Knicks could also slide him over to shooting guard at times, where he can stretch the defense from behind the arc.

At this point in his career, Hinrich can probably be had for $2 to $3 million per season.  

6. Lavoy Allen

Allen was a pleasant surprise for the 76ers, who selected him with the 50th pick in the 2011 draft.

Doug Collins rewarded his rookie with extended minutes in the postseason and Allen responded by averaging 4.9 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in just 19 minutes per game.

He still has plenty of room for growth and his physical presence would be a nice addition to the Knicks frontcourt, but it may be difficult to pry him away from Philly.

5. Antawn Jamison

Jamison's days of dropping 50 points in a game are long behind him, but at the age of 36 he can still offer a contending team some scoring punch off the bench.

The former UNC Tarheel can fill it up from behind the arc or with soft runners in the paint and averaged 17.2 points per game for the Cavaliers this season.

Jamison can play the three and the four and would give the Knicks another scoring threat when Melo or Amar'e take a breather.

4. Raymond Felton

Felton's season in Portland was a huge disappointment. He showed up overweight and never found any consistency with his shot. That drove his market value down. 

Felton played the best ball of his career during his short stint with the Knicks and might be invigorated by a return trip to New York.

The major snag is that he may not be willing to accept a backup role behind Lin.

3. Courtney Lee

Lee seems to have found his niche in the NBA as a spot-up shooter. He connected on over 40 percent of his three-point attempts in each of the past two seasons.

Lee could step into the starting lineup for the Knicks while Shumpert recovers from a torn ACL and give them some punch off the bench once Shump is healthy.

He would be an excellent replacement for J.R. Smith if Smith chooses not to pick up his option with the club for next season.

2. Carl Landry

Landry has been underrated since he first came into the league with the Houston Rockets. He does not possess tremendous athleticism, but makes up for it with a vast array of post moves.

The 6'9'' forward would be a perfect fit for the Knicks, who are looking to establish more of an inside game under Coach Mike Woodson.

Landry has been injury-prone throughout his career, which may scare teams off. Given their lack of cap space, he is just the type of player the Knicks should take a chance on.

1. Andre Miller

It is a priority for the Knicks to add a veteran point guard to play with Lin and Miller fits the bill.

He has a high basketball IQ and 13 years of experience running an NBA team. More importantly, he will command respect from Anthony and Stoudemire and make sure they both get their shots.

At this point in his career, he is willing to play off the bench and does not come with a hefty price tag.