The New York Knicks fancy themselves a playoff caliber team this year, but so far they are 16-19, and this season that is not nearly good enough in the Eastern Conference. One of the major problems for the Knicks so far has been guard play, so when the Philadelphia 76ers cut Tony Wroten many people saw that as a natural fit. Wroten is still available as a free agent, but it doesn't seem like the Knicks are all that interested, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
The Knicks have just 14 players on their roster right now and have been very careful not to use that last roster spot, hoping that somebody would catch their eye. Wroten, a young talented guard, seems to be exactly what the Knicks are looking for, but there is reportedly "nothing really happening" between Wroten and the Knicks.
Knicks fans might be asking what they are waiting for in terms of that 15th roster spot, but Tuesday is the first day that teams could give out 10-day contracts, so that is likely exactly what they are waiting for. The Knicks did very well with their 10-day contracts last season signing Langston Galloway, Lance Thomas and Lou Amundson who are all still on the team, and they may be hoping to do the same this season.
Wroten may be a possible option for the Knicks on a 10-day contract, but as of now nothing seems imminent on that front. Another option for the Knicks might be Jimmer Fredette, who has been involved in rumors with the Knicks all season and is currently playing for their D-League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks. Fredette is averaging 23.5 points and 4.9 assists in the D-League so far this season.
As the roster currently stands the Knicks guards have been a major weak point. Jose Calderon has not been very good all season, Galloway has cooled off in a big way since his hot start, and Jerian Grant has struggled like you would expect a rookie to do. If the Knicks want to make a push for a playoff spot they need to improve in the backcourt, and although trading for someone like Brandon Jennings is an option, they will likely first try to audition guys with 10-day contracts.
Wroten makes a lot of sense for the Knicks, because although he is high-risk due to his injury issues and inefficiency, he can also be high-reward. Wroten averaged almost 17 points per game a season ago before tearing his ACL, and he is just 22 years old, so he seems like the kind of player that is worth taking a shot on. No matter who it is, though, it seems likely that the Knicks will be adding someone to the roster soon, and it would be a big surprise if it wasn't a guard.
