Getty Ryan Arcidiacono of the New York Knicks.
When it comes to the New York Knicks, the term “losing” has become synonymous with the franchise over the better part of the past two decades.
From their 17 losing seasons over the last 22 years to their plethora of failed “get rich quick” schemes in the shape of wonky executive hires and poor free agency pursuits, the Knickerbockers have endured quite a few hardships since the turn of the century.
The 2022 NBA offseason does not seem to be like another one of these low points, however, as the front office has managed to execute several quality moves to set up this organization rather nicely moving forward.
Headlined by the free agency signing of Jalen Brunson, Leon Rose and company addressed a number of holes within their rotation that needed filling.
That said, even though there’s much to like about the decisions made by New York this summer, not everyone seems to be satisfied with the team’s offseason endeavors.
In fact, according to Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, one player in particular — Ryan Arcidiacono — should be upset with their pursuits.
“For most free agents who haven’t signed a deal yet, this is officially the time to worry,” Buckley wrote for an August 6 story on the biggest Knicks winners and losers in free agency. “A few players aren’t sweating like the rest. Collin Sexton, for instance, will get paid by someone. He just happens to be trapped in the thorns of restricted free agency at the moment.
“It’s different for Ryan Arcidiacono. His next NBA payday isn’t guaranteed. Just last season, it took him until January to find a big league deal, and even then, it started as a 10-day agreement with the Knicks,” Buckley wrote. “He isn’t the worst option for a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency reserve, but he’s also a 28-year-old lacking any standout skills. Maybe a win-now team seeks him out at some point for back-of-the-bench protection, but this league could move on without him.”
The NBA can sometimes be a cutthroat league and, despite his best efforts, Arcidiacono just recently become its latest victim.
Arcidiacono Still Could Be of Service to Championship Contenders
As Buckley alluded to, though Ryan Arcidiacono may currently be out of work this is not to say that his NBA dream should be over.
Though not a household name, the fifth-year veteran has proved himself to be a trusty ball handler and a dependable long-range shooter who boasts a career shooting clip of 37% from deep.
Through 10 games played with the Knicks last season, and despite seeing minimal on-court opportunities, the point guard still managed to flash his sweet shooting stroke from time to time, converting on 44% of his long-range attempts and boasting an effective field goal percentage of 64.3% in catch-and-shoot scenarios.
These qualities are generally welcomed on a title-contending team’s rotation and, should he not find a new employer by the time October rolls around, Arcidiacono’s name could pop up as a low-cost suitor for playoff-bound teams as the season progresses.
The Knicks May Not Be Done With Backcourt Renovations
Though the Knicks added Jalen Brunson to their guard rotation, it appears they aren’t done bolstering their backcourt talent pool just yet.
It has been rumored that New York is interested in pursuing Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell. On August 5, HoopsHype’s Michael A. Scotto reported that the Knicks engaged the Jazz and the Los Angeles Lakers hopes of striking a multi-team deal to land him.
“The proposed three-team trade scenario included Westbrook going to Utah and getting bought out,” Scotto wrote. “Utah would send Donovan Mitchell to the Knicks, a combination of two players — including Patrick Beverley and Jordan Clarkson, Bojan Bogdanovic or Malik Beasley — to the Lakers, and the Jazz would receive significant draft pick compensation from the Knicks and Lakers. The Knicks also would’ve had to part with veteran salary filler(s), such as Derrick Rose to help make the salaries work,”
Now, as things currently stand, it appears that the Knicks and the Jazz are far apart when it comes to a potential trade package, with The Athletic’s Shams Charania stating in a July 29 appearance on “The Rally” that negotiations have “stalled.”
“As of right now, sources tell me that talks between the Jazz and the Knicks around a Donovan Mitchell trade have stalled out,” Charania said.
That being said, even with this news, it hasn’t affected the Knicks’ confidence one bit as they still believe themselves to be the favorites to land Mitchell should Utah move on from him.