Knicks Rumors: Ronnie Brewer Would Be Great Stopgap Until Iman Shumpert Returns

The New York Knicks are in the market for a shooting guard thanks to Iman Shumpert's torn ACL and lateral meniscus, as well as Landry Fields' departure to the Toronto Raptors.

The team signed J.R. Smith to a bargain of a contract at two years and $2.8 million per year, but it still needs a backup 2-guard.

According to ESPNNewYork's Jared Zwerling, the Knicks have shown "some interest" in acquiring former first-round pick Ronnie Brewer.

The former Chicago Bull isn't a long-term answer, but he doesn't need to be. Iman Shumpert's recovery time puts him back on the court sometime in January, and Zwerling reported that coach Mike Woodson believes he is ahead of schedule.

All the Knicks need is a couple of serviceable months out of Brewer before they either cut him or plant him firmly on the bench for the remainder of the season. It sounds harsh, but NBA teams are businesses, and business isn't personal, especially when a team needs a stopgap player.

We've seen that Smith isn't a player who can effectively play 40 minutes a night. He's a game-changer when he's at his best, but he's a run-killer when he's ice cold.

Smith is much better suited to play around 30 minutes a night (give or take). Brewer would be the right guy to come in for 15 minutes or so while Smith gets his rest on the bench. Of course, the six-year veteran out of Arkansas isn't the cream of the crop, but the free-agent market is basically bone-dry at this point.

Brewer might not enjoy the prospect of being paid the veteran minimum, but he may reach the point where he will take what he can get. He's surely become nervous about the prospect of being unemployed through next season, which could lead to a willingness to take a pay cut.

There's a catch to this. The Knicks shouldn't offer Brewer anything but a one-year deal for the veteran minimum. Anything else would just be overspending and another blunder on James Dolan's long rap sheet of mistakes.

The unrestricted free agent would bring vital elements to the team. At 6'7", he can get to the hoop and finish among the big men. He also plays solid defense thanks to a nearly seven-foot wingspan.

He's not going to be a huge part of the team's success, but having him as a backup for two months would provide the Knicks with an adequate backup to Smith.

Brewer won't change the dynamic of the team, but Dolan can surely afford the veteran minimum and luxury tax that would come with it after letting Jeremy Lin bolt for the Houston Rockets.