Knicks Rumors: Raymond Felton a Worthwhile Plan B After NY Whiffs on Steve Nash
So the Knicks lost out on Steve Nash. Oh, well. Time to move on and figure out a Plan B.
Fortunately, that seems to be exactly what they're doing, in light of the news that Nash has agreed to a sign-and-trade deal with the Lakers. New York appears to be a front-runner to sign Raymond Felton, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News:
"The Knicks may be willing to acquire Felton in a sign-and-trade as a way to hold on to their $3 million mini-mid level exception to use on another free agent. A trade for Felton would likely include Toney Douglas.
"
Raymond Felton may not be a two-time league MVP, but he's pretty good for a backup plan. And considering the fact that the Knicks whiffed on Nash and are in danger of losing Jeremy Lin as well, the potential acquisition of Felton looks better and better.
Basically, if the Knicks miss out on Felton, too, they're truly in serious trouble.
Less than 24 hours ago, the Knicks were allegedly the front-runners to land Nash, despite the fact that all signs seemed to point to Toronto. According to SI.com, the Knicks were in the midst of the "critical stages" of discussions on a sign-and-trade that would put Nash in New York for the next three years.
But then the Lakers swooped in, Nash and his agent liked what they saw on the table and it was L.A. that won, not New York.
As a result, the Knicks are scrambling for a point guard to fill the void left by the Nash failure, and the possibility of Lin returning to New York is no longer a sure thing. Lin is a restricted free agent, and, as a result, the Knicks have the right to match any offer that is made to him. But they might be unwilling to match a backloaded offer like the one the Rockets are reportedly tossing out there, according to ESPN.com.
All things considered, getting this Felton deal done—immediately—is crucial, whether or not Lin is the Knicks' point guard of the future. He's someone who is already familiar with the organization, having played there briefly in 2010 before being traded away in the Knicks' acquisition of Carmelo Anthony.
This is a transition that bodes to be seamless. Felton is passionate about playing for the Knicks, he could be utilized in either a backup or a starting role and he's a former top-five draft pick who's capable of contributing 17.1 points and 9.0 assists per game, as he did for the Knicks in 54 games in 2010.
Felton's production hasn't been as good over parts of the last two seasons with Denver and Portland, but that's to be expected when you're bouncing from team to team and you don't have a chance to firmly establish your role on a team before leaving for the next destination. The Knicks could give him a worthwhile role for the next several years, and it could be one in which Felton will thrive.
This is a low-risk, high-reward move that will have a big payoff for the Knicks. Especially if things keep going poorly for them for the rest of the free agency period.
