Knicks Appear Closer to Signing Rasheed Wallace
By NATE TAYLORThe
Knicks appear to be one step closer to signing Rasheed Wallace, who
could be the latest and yet another veteran player this off-season to
join the team just before training camp. A person with direct knowledge
of the situation said Wallace took his physical with the Knicks’
training staff Thursday.
Wallace has considered coming out of
retirement for the last two years. The decision to get a physical could
be a signal that his signing with the Knicks might be imminent. The
person close to the situation said Wallace could sign a league minimum
deal (around $1.7 million) – which is all the Knicks can offer – as soon
as Friday afternoon.
It’s unclear whether Wallace would sign a
full guaranteed contract or a partially guaranteed deal. The Knicks have
13 players under guaranteed contract.
Wallace’s agent, Bill
Strickland, said that he hadn’t spoken directly with Wallace or the
Knicks on Friday about a contract from the team. Earlier this week,
Strickland said Wallace was the only person discussing a possible deal
with the Knicks. At this point, Wallace is only interested in joining
the Knicks this season to return to the N.B.A.
“I’m
extremely confident that if Rasheed ends his retirement, it will only
be with the Knicks,” said Strickland, who has represented Wallace since
he entered the league in 1995. “He only wants to join the Knicks if he
decides to sign a contract.”
Coach Mike Woodson was an assistant
coach with the Detroit Pistons when Wallace helped the Pistons win the
2004 N.B.A. championship.
Wallace, 38, worked out with the Knicks
on Saturday at their Greenburgh, N.Y., practice gym. The last game
Wallace played in the N.B.A. was Game 7 of the 2010 finals as a member
of the Boston Celtics. The Celtics lost that game to the Los Angeles
Lakers. Wallace played well in the final game of his career, scoring 11
points with 8 rebounds. He averaged 9 points and 4.5 rebounds a game
coming off the bench that season.
If Wallace becomes a Knick, he
will be the fourth oldest player on the roster, a remarkable statistic
given that Wallace is 38 years old. Jason Kidd (age 39), Kurt Thomas
(39), and Marcus Camby (38) joined the team this off-season.
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