The Knicks will be without 22-year old rookie center for around the next six weeks due to surgery to repair a broken wrist.  Harrellson has played in 16 games (2 starts) for the Knicks so far this year and he is averaging 18.5 minutes, 5.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game.  This is really going to hurt the Knicks as Harrellson is one of their best big men off the bench.

The Knicks will be without 21-year old rookie SG/PG Iman Shumpert for the next 2-4 weeks due to a sprained right knee.  Shumpert played in 22 minutes in his first NBA game against the Celtics on Christmas Day, and he had 11 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist.  The Knicks have claimed 23-year old point guard Jeremy Lin off waivers to replace Shumpert on the active roster.  Lin played in 29 games (0 starts) for the Warriors last year and he averaged 9.8 minutes, 2.6 points, 1.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game.

The Knicks have signed 32-year old point guard Baron Davis to a 1-year, $2.5 million dollar deal.  Davis played in 58 games (44 starts) for the Clippers & Cavaliers last year and he averaged 28.4 minutes, 13.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game.  He has now played in 806 games (678 starts) in his NBA career so far and he is averaging 34.7 minutes, 16.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.9 steals per game.  Davis is a perfect fit for the Knicks, but they will have to wait a while as he is currently recovering from a herniated disc in his back which will cause him to miss at least 2-4 weeks and maybe as many as 8 weeks (if he requires surgery).

The Knicks have signed 33-year old point guard Mike Bibby to a 1-year deal.  Bibby played in 80 games (68 starts) for the Heat, Falcons and Wizards last year in which he averaged 28.6 minutes, 8.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.  He has now played in 751 games (740 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 35.0 minutes, 18.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game.  He will compete with Toney Douglas for minutes at point guard in 2011-12.  I like this pickup for the Knicks as Bibby came at the right price.

The New York Knicks have acquired 29-year old center Tyson Chandler and the draft rights to 24-year old power forward Ahmad Nivins and 26-year old forward Giorgos Printezis from the Dallas Mavericks.  The Knicks have dealt 28-year old C/PF Ronny Turiaf, a 2nd round pick in 2013 and cash to the Wizards.  They also have sent 25-year old shooting guard Andy Rautins and a trade exception to the Dallas Mavericks.  The Wizards also get a 2012 2nd round pick from Dallas, while the Mavericks have gotten a protected 2nd  round pick from the Wizards.

29-year old Tyson Chandler signed a 4-year, $58 million dollar deal before he was traded to the Knicks.  He played in 74 games (all starts) for the Mavericks last year and he averaged 27.8 minutes, 10.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, 0.4 assists and 1.1 blocked shots per game.  Chandler has now played in 662 games (465 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 27.6 minutes, 8.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 1.3 blocked shots per game.  Chandler was force in the paint in the NBA Finals last year, so he is a money player.  The Knicks also got Ahmad Nivins who was picked in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft by the Mavericks.  He played his college ball at St. Joseph’s.  Giorgos Printezis was a second round pick of the Spurs back in the 2007 NBA Draft.  The Knicks don’t expect Nivins or Printezis to come to the states any time soon as they are playing overseas.

Ronny Turiaf played in 64 games (21 starts) for the Knicks last year and he averaged 17.8 minutes, 4.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 blocked shots per game.  Andy Rautins played in 5 games (0 starts) as a rookie for the Knicks last year and he averaged 4.8 minutes, 1.6 points, 0.2 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game.  The Knicks likely won’t miss either of these guys.

This was a master stroke for the Knicks as they now have one of the best frontlines in all of basketball.  Tyson Chandler, Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony are going to give the Knicks a good shot of winning every night they take the court.

The New York Knicks have waived 35-year old point guard Chauncey Billups via the NBA’s new amnesty clause.  Billups played in 21 games (all starts) for the Knicks last year and he averaged 31.6 minutes, 17.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game.  He has now played in 982 games (888 starts) in his NBA career so far and he is averaging 32.3 minutes, 15.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.0 steal per game.  The Knicks made this move so they could acquire center Tyson Chandler from the Mavericks.  The Knicks’ new starting point guard as of right now is Toney Douglas.

The New York Knicks bought 22-year old center Josh Harrellson from the New Orleans Hornets.  The Hornets picked the 6’10″, 275 pound center Josh Harrellson out of Kentucky with the #45 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.  Harrellson played in 38 games for Kentucky last year and he averaged 28.5 minutes, 7.6 points 8.7 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 1.5 blocked shots per game.  He played in 94 games in his three years in college and he averaged 15.8 minutes, 4.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 0.4 assists and 0.9 blocked shots per game.  While Harrellson isn’t a big time prospect, he will still give the Knicks a big body off the bench.  So I like this deal for the Knicks.

The Knicks picked 21-year old, 6’5″, 212 pound shooting guard Iman Shumpert with the 17th overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft.  Shumpert played in 31 games at Georgia Tech last year and he averged 32.0 minutes, 17.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.7 steals per game.  Shumpert played in 92 games in his 3 years in college and he averaged 31.3 minutes, 12.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.3 steals per game.  Shumpert only shot 39.6% from the floor in college, so the Knicks picked him for his defense.

28-year old PF/C Ronny Turiaf has exercised his player option to return to the Knicks in 2011-12 worth $4.36 million bucks.  Turiaf wasn’t likely going to get anywhere near that kind of money on the open market, so it was smart for him to return to the Knicks.  Turiaf played in 64 games (21 starts) for the Knicks last year and he averaged 17.8 minutes, 4.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 blocked shots per game.  Turiaf has now played in 358 games (90 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 17.9 minutes, 5.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.4 blocked shots per game.  Turiaf will provide the Knicks with defense and rebounding off the bench next year.

The New York Knicks have 7 free agents coming into this summer but none of them are high impact players.  C/PF Ronny Turiaf has a player option for the 2011-12 season and I expect him to pick it up and return to the Knicks for the 2011-12 season.  SF/PF Jared Jeffries is a Mike D’Antoni favorite, so I could see the Knicks working out a deal with him to return for 2011-12.  F/C Shelden Williams and SF Shawne Williams both flashed some talent last year but I think the Knicks will want to go in a different direction.  SG Roger Mason is as good as gone.  PG Anthony Carter might come back on a small deal with the Knicks to be the #3 PG.  Forward Derrick Brown is a restricted free agent but I don’t think he’ll be getting many offers, so he could return to the Knicks next year.