NBA Rumors: Knicks Would Be Foolish to Match Landry Fields' Offer

Free agency allows role players to get paid like stars.

Rumors are swirling in the NBA that the New York Knicks may actually match the Toronto Raptors' three-year offer to Landry Fields for around $20 million. Considering that the Raptors likely made the move solely to keep Steve Nash from landing in NYC, Toronto would probably throw a party if they pulled the trigger.

Fields isn’t worth over $6 million, though, and the Knicks would be nuts to bring him back.

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reported that it isn’t a near done deal that New York lets Fields walk in free agency. He tweeted:

"

The Knicks don't really care about the paying the luxury tax which is why you can see them matching the offer for Landry Fields.

— Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) July 11, 2012"

Adrian Wojnarowski  of Yahoo! Sports echoed and added to Isola’s speculation. He tweeted:

"

Agree with @FisolaNYDN and absolutely do not rule out Knicks matching Landry Fields offer sheet. They have a 3-year window to win now.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 11, 2012"

Fields is known around the league not for his performance, but because he plays in the Big Apple and Jeremy Lin slept on his couch.

He averaged 8.8 points per game as a starter last season. That’s pitiful, and those number dipped to 7.2 per in the playoffs. Fields obviously can’t create his own shot, but at least he’s a solid spot-up shooter, right?

Errrrr. Wrong.

Fields shot an ineffective 25.6 percent from downtown. Defenses will feel free to double Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire as long as he's at shooting guard. On the defensive end of the floor, he isn’t a liability, but he’s nothing special either.

So...where is Fields’ value again?

Well, he’s a phenomenal rebounder for a guard. The last time I checked, though, rebounding wasn’t the No. 1 attribute scouts look for in 2s.

If the Knicks give over $6 million to an offensive liability and mediocre defender that can rebound, it’ll show they’re headed down a road to destruction.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

Follow @TheRealDDaniels