Alexey Shved Giving New York Knicks Something to Think About This Offseason

When the New York Knicks traded away Pablo Prigioni to the Houston Rockets, it seemed like nothing more than a salary dump, but new acquisition Alexey Shved is giving them something to seriously think about in free agency.

Since joining the Knicks, Shved has been averaging 14.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and one steal per game, shooting 39 percent from the field, all of which are career-highs. After two quiet stints with the Rockets and Philadelphia 76ers, he's finally making good on the talent he showed in his rookie year with the Minnesota Timberwolves back in 2012-13.

Shved has a qualifying offer of $4.1 million for 2015-16, and while it seemed at first like the Knicks would simply let him go, it may actually be worthwhile to keep him around for that kind of money.

Danny Moloshok/Associated Press

For a decent backup guard—which Shved is certainly showing the potential to be—$4.1 million isn't too much to ask, and won't cut too deeply into New York's cap space (which will be roughly $28 million as it stands). It's not even entirely impossible that they could let him become an unrestricted free agent instead and try to work out an even more cap-friendly deal.

The Knicks have been short of long-term prospects for much of this season, but along with Andrea Bargnani and Langston Galloway (who has already been re-signed for the second-year minimum), Shved is using this final stretch to show he could be a worthwhile player to keep through the rebuild.

Shved obviously isn't going to develop into a star for the Knicks, but at his current level of play, he could easily be the first or second guard off the bench. At 6'6" with the ability to create for others and himself, he's a great fit in the triangle.

Admittedly, Shved hasn't been perfect as a Knick—his shooting is particularly inefficient, for example, as should be expected when a player is forced to take on an inflated role. The bottom line is that he still routinely ends up near the top of the box score in points, rebounds and assists. He even threatened to record a triple-double on two occasions against the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers.

This has been one of the better stretches in Shved's career, but it's not completely unfounded. Back in 2012-13 he averaged 13 points and 5.6 assists per 36 minutes with the Timberwolves, and he has a successful history in international basketball, winning the Euroleague in 2008 and earning a bronze medal with Russia at the 2012 Olympics.

For the first time in a while, Shved actually has a consistent role, having not started a single game since his rookie season before joining the Knicks. Now he's getting the chance to showcase his ability in a featured capacity, and he is taking the opportunity with both hands.

It's also worth noting that, despite the absence of Carmelo Anthony, New York is playing some of its best basketball as of late, defeating the defending champion San Antonio Spurs and generally looking more competitive than they did in the first half. This is in large part due to the contributions of Shved, Galloway and Bargnani.

Phil Jackson's primary focus this offseason will be finding major building blocks—whether through free agency or the draft—but the importance of depth on the bench can't be underestimated. Quality, cap-friendly role players are essential for teams serious about making the playoffs.

Players like Shved are never going to be priorities for teams like the Knicks with their eyes set on bigger fish, but they're definitely important when it comes to rounding out rosters.

There are still 14 games left in the season, and New York should keep a close eye on Shved throughout. There's no guarantee that his recent play is sustainable, but if he can keep it up to close out the year, it will give Jackson something to seriously contemplate this coming offseason.