Knicks Rumors: Louis Amundson Would Be Perfect Signing for Final Roster Spot

The 2012 free-agency period has been an eventful one for the New York Knicks, but it's not quite over just yet.

New York is one player away from reaching the NBA maximum of 15, and it appears the front office has every intention of going into the season with a full squad.

Considering how badly injuries hurt the team down the stretch last season, that's not a bad idea.

Last week, we thought the Knicks had found the final man on the roster in Chris Smith—brother of J.R.—but according to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com, the intention is to send him down to the Erie Bay Hawks—the Knicks' D-League affiliate.

That, of course, leaves one spot remaining, and it would be wise for the Knicks to fill that spot with another big man, as they need as much frontcourt depth as possible with injury-prone players such as Amar'e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler leading the way.

According to Pro Basketball Talk, one such player the Knicks are interested in is Louis Amundson, who'd be the perfect fit on the bench.

At this point, Amundson is still looking for a contract within the range of $3 million, but a team like the Knicks—who'll be competing for a title next season—should be able to convince him to take a one-year deal on the veteran's minimum.

And considering that Kenyon Martin is on the verge of signing elsewhere, there aren't too many better options you could find with that kind of money.

Amundson is not the kind of player who's going to provide a scoring boost off the bench, but at the very least he is capable on the offensive side of the floor.

But the real selling point on Amundson is his energy crashing the boards and on defense.

Back in Phoenix, Amundson earned a reputation as an unselfish player who likes to hustle, which is exactly the type of personality the Knicks are looking for.

He has the capability to crack the rotation as the backup power forward, and if not, he can provide quality depth for later on in the season.

Despite his slightly undersized body—and his girly hair—Amundson is a bruiser who'll fit in perfectly on the defensive system Mike Woodson has installed in New York.

On the boards, Amundson was ranked 32nd in the league last year in rebounding rate (not bad for a bench player), but actually he was also in the top 10 in the entire league in terms of offensive rebounding.

With Tyson Chandler and Marcus Camby already on the roster, adding in Amundson would make the Knicks one of the very best rebounding teams in the league, which could create second-chance opportunities galore for the Knicks' talented offensive players.

The importance of this final spot on the roster should not be underestimated, and the Knicks need the quality depth that Amundson can provide if they are to have the best regular season possible.

He won't make or break the Knicks' season, but he'll do the little things that will make it so much easier for the Knicks' star players.