Knicks News: Theo Pinson Claimed Ahead of NBA Restart; Allonzo Trier Waived

The New York Knicks announced Friday that they claimed guard Theo Pinson off waivers from the Brooklyn Nets and waived guard Allonzo Trier. 

The 24-year-old Pinson went undrafted in 2018 out of North Carolina before signing with the Nets and spending parts of two seasons with them. Trier also went undrafted in 2018 out of Arizona and signed as a free agent with the Knicks.

New York's 2019-20 season is over, as it was not one of the 22 teams invited to participate in the season's resumption after going 21-45 and ranking 12th in the Eastern Conference.

Pinson played somewhat sparingly in his two seasons in Brooklyn, as he appeared in a total of just 51 games, averaging 3.9 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists. This season, Pinson averaged 3.6 points, 1.7 points and 1.6 rebounds in 11.1 minutes per game across 33 contests.

The 6'5", 212-pounder also shot just 29.0 percent from the field and 18.8 percent from beyond the arc.

While Pinson's talent hasn't necessarily translated to the NBA level, he has been highly productive in the G League. In nine G League games this season, Pinson averaged 15.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists. He also averaged 20.1 points per game in 34 G League outings last season.

Trier, 24, was a surprisingly big contributor for the Knicks as a rookie during the 2018-19 season. In 64 games, Trier averaged 10.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists, making him one of the team's lone bright spots.

After the Knicks overhauled their roster in free agency last offseason, Trier's role with the team changed this season and he played significantly less.

Trier went from averaging 22.8 minutes per game as a rookie to just 12.1 minutes this season. In 24 games, Trier put up just 6.5 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.

Had the Knicks kept Trier on the roster, he would have become a restricted free agent in October when the offseason begins.

Pinson hasn't played as well as Trier has in the NBA to this point in their young careers, but his all-around game may fit the Knicks' roster better and give him an opportunity to make the roster next season.