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.

The Knicks have picked up 34-year old point guard Chauncey Billups’ option for the 2011-12 season valued at $14.2 million bucks.  This was no doubt done to keep Carmelo Anthony happy.  Billups played in 21 games (all starts) for the Knicks after coming over in the big deal with the Nuggets and he averaged 31.6 minutes, 17.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game.  He played in 72 games (all starts) overall with the Nuggets & Knicks in which he averaged 32.1 minutes, 16.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.0 steal per game as he shot 40.2% from three-point range.  Billups has now played in 982 games (888 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 32.3 minutes, 15.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.0 steal per game.  Chauncey Billups continues to move up the leaders’ list in NBA history.  He is now #5 all-time in NBA history in three-pointers made with 1,735 of them.  He is also #39 in assists (5,465), tied for #127 in steals (1,022) and he’s #113 in points scored (15,247) in NBA history.  He proved last season that he has plently left in the gas tank, so I think the Knicks were smart to bring him back.

Starting point guard Chauncey Billups will be watching Game #2 of the series with the Celtics in street clothes due to a left knee  injury.  Billups played 35 minutes in the first game of this series and he had 10 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists.  Toney Douglas will take over as the starting point guard for the Knicks tonight.  He played 26 minutes in the series opener and he had 8 points and 2 assists.  Anthoy Carter will back up Douglas tonight.  He played 14 minutes in the series opener and he had 2 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot.  Losing Billups really hurts the Knicks because he’s a big game player.  Also, the Knicks’ really thin bench will also be hurt by them having to start Douglas.

The Knicks have signed 29-year old forward Jared Jeffries.  Jeffries played in 18 games (0 starts) for the Rockets this season and he averaged 7.7 minutes, 1.5 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game.  He has now played in 528 games (322 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 22.8 minutes, 5.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.  Coach Mike D’Antoni says that Jeffries could be inserted into the starting lineup before this season is over because of his defensive ability.

The Knicks have claimed 23-year old forward Derrick Brown off waivers from the Bobcats.  Brown played in 41 games (1 start) for the Bobcats this season and he averaged 11.9 minutes, 3.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game.  Brown shot 54.9% from the floor for the Bobcats this season which is pretty impressive.  Brown has now played in 98 games (1 start) in his first two years in the NBA and he is averaging 10.4 minutes, 3.4 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game.  This was a good pick up for the Knicks as Brown might be a perfect fit in their system and they didn’t have to give anything up to get him.

The Knicks have released 27-year old SG/SF Kelenna Azubuike.  Azubuike has not played in a game this season for the Knicks as he is rehabbing a knee injury.  It’s too bad he never made it to the basketball court with the Knicks because he’s a great athlete.  He played in 205 games (83 starts) in his first four years in the NBA and he has averaged 24.4 minutes, 10.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.  As soon as he proves that he’s healthy, some team is going to snap him up.  Cutting Azubuike just magnifies how awful the David Lee trade with the Warriors really was.

The Knicks have acquired 24-year old shooting guard Corey Brewer from the Timberwolves for 21-year old power forward Anthony Randolph and 28-year old center Eddy Curry.  Shooting guard Corey Brewer played in 56 games (22 starts) for the T-Wolves this year and he was averaging 24.3 minutes, 8.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game.  He has now played in 232 games (147 starts) in his first four years in the NBA and he is averaging 25.7 minutes, 9.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game.  Brewer will back up Landry Fields the rest of this season.

Anthony Randolph was supposed to be the key to the David Lee trade with the Warriors over the summer but it just never clicked for him in N.Y.  He played in 17 games (0 starts) for the Knicks this season and he averaged 7.5 minutes, 2.1 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game.  Randolph only shot 31.1% from the floor this year as he has a complete bust for the Knicks.  Eddy Curry did not play in any games for the Knicks this season and he has only played in 10 games over the last three years for the Knicks.

UPDATE:  (3/1/2011) – The Knicks have bought out Corey Brewer, making him a free agent.  I think this was a big mistake by the Knicks as Brewer is likely to wind up with a playoff team.

The New York Knicks have acquired Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter and Renaldo Balkman from the Nuggets for Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, Timofey Mozgov, the Knicks first round pick in 2014, the Warriors second round picks in 2012 & 2013 and $3 million bucks.  26-year old Carmelo Anthony returns to N.Y. after playing his college ball at Syracuse.  He played in 50 games (all starts) for the Nuggets this season and he averaged 35.5 minutes, 25.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.  He has now played in 564 games (all starts) in his first 8 years in the NBA and he is averaging 36.4 minutes, 24.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game.  Anthony gives the Knicks a second bonafide star to team with Amare Stoudemire in N.Y. city.  34-year old point guard Chauncey Billups will take over for the departed Raymond Felton in the starting lineup.  Billups played in 51 games (all starts) for the Nuggets this season and he averaged 32.3 minutes, 16.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.0 steal per game.  He has now played in 961 games (867 starts) in his NBA career and he has averaged 32.3 minutes, 15.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.0 steal per game.  Billups is a shoot first point guard so the Knicks offense might change a little bit, but he is a clutch shooter as he has hit 44.1% from three point range so far this year.  27-year old power forward Shelden Williams played in 42 games (32 starts) for the Nuggets this season and he averaged 17.0 minutes, 4.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game.  Williams has now played in 286 games (63 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 14.4 minutes, 4.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game.  Williams will give the Knicks some muscle and rebounding off the bench the rest of this year.  35-year old Anthony Carter played in 14 games (0 starts) for the Nuggets this season and he averaged 10.9 minutes, 1.9 points, 0.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.  He has now played in 580 games (181 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 20.1 minutes, 5.0 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.0 steal per game.  Carter will back up Billups just like he was doing in Denver.  26-year old Renaldo Balkman returns to N.Y. where he played his first two seasons.  Balkman played in 5 games (0 starts) for the Nuggets so far this year and he is averaging 8.8 minutes, 2.6 points, 0.8 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game.  Balkman has now played in 204 games (12 starts) in his first five years in the NBA and he is averaging 14.4 minutes, 4.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game. 

The new guys didn’t come cheap.  26-year old Raymond Felton played in 54 games (all starts) for the Knicks this season and he averaged 38.4 minutes, 17.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 9.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game.  The Knicks might miss Felton a little bit going forward as he was playing better than Chauncey Billups was for the Nuggets.  22-year old small forward Danilo Gallinari played in 48 games (all starts) for the Knicks this season and he averaged 34.8 minutes, 15.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.  He played in 157 games (124 starts) in his three years with the Knicks in which he averaged 30.8 minutes, 13.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.  23-year old SG/SF Wilson Chandler was having his best season for the Knicks.  He played in 51 games (30 starts) for the Knicks this year and he was averaging 34.5 minutes, 16.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.4 blocked shots per game.  He played in 233 games (180 starts) in his four years with the Knicks and he averaged 32.2 minutes, 14.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.  24-year old rookie center Timofey Mozgov almost held up this deal before the Knicks relented and included him in this deal.  Mozgov played in 34 games (14 starts) for the Knicks this year and he averaged 13.5 minutes, 4.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game. 

The Knicks now have the star power that they have craved for a while in adding Carmelo Anthony but they paid top dollar to get him.

The Knicks have invited 24-year old small forward Shawne Williams to training camp. Williams was the #17 overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Pacers but he has never really made it in the NBA. Off court issues have dogged him for years but the Knicks are willing to give him a new start. Williams has played in 124 games (6 starts) in his NBA career and he has averaged 13.4 minutes, 5.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game. This could be Williams’ last chance to prove he deserves to play in the NBA.

The Knicks have signed 29-year old shooting guard Roger Mason to a 1-year, $1.4 million dollar deal. Mason played in 79 games (5 starts) for the Knicks last season and he averaged 19.2 minutes, 6.3 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. He has now played in 346 games (88 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 19.2 minutes, 7.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. Mason is a good long range shooter as he has hit 38.1% from three point range in his career. I really like this signing for the Knicks as Mason will bring some scoring punch off of the bench.