Account
Metta World Peace to Knicks: New York Signs Veteran Small Forward
July 15, 2013
Metta World Peace may have been cut from the Los Angeles Lakers, but it didn’t take long for the mercurial forward to find a new home. The New York Knicks have reportedly come to terms with the forward on a two-year deal, per Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports:
UPDATE: Tuesday, July 16, at 4:45 p.m. ET by Ian Hanford
World Peace let the world know on Tuesday that he was officially a member of the Knicks:
---End of update---
Original Text
Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com has more details on the deal between the Knicks and World Peace.
The 14-year veteran is the latest in a long list of amnesty-clause casualties brought on by the new collective bargaining agreement signed in 2011.
L.A. bought out World Peace to save approximately $16 million this season after four years with the Lakers, notably helping the club win a championship against the rival Boston Celtics in 2010.
He can still contribute at a high level, as exemplified by his resurgent 2012-13 campaign. The swingman put up 12.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 33.7 minutes per contest, becoming one of the most consistent players for an up-and-down Lakers squad.
While the 33-year-old’s best days are behind him—he once averaged 18.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.1 steals per game with a very good Indiana Pacers team in 2003-04—he should still find a way to shine for the Knicks.
With only one ring to his name, it could be that the player formerly known as Ron Artest is hanging around the league a bit longer to chase a second title. Another possibility is that the Queens native wanted to play in front of his hometown fans before hanging up his sneakers. New York City's big-market opportunities also cannot be ignored.
Regardless of his reasoning, World Peace should make an impact with his three-point shooting, off-ball cuts and hounding defensive capabilities off the bench.