The story surrounding the New York Knicks right now is about who their next full-time coach will be. Kurt Rambis is serving as the interim head coach and Phil Jackson reportedly wants him to take over the job full-time, but there are plenty of people who don't think that's a great idea.
Regardless of who the next coach is though, the Knicks definitely need to improve their roster if they want to be a playoff contender again. New York has decisions to make on some of its own free agents, including Lance Thomas who had a career year with the team.
Thomas has been out since the beginning of March with a knee injured he suffered during warm-ups. He hasn't officially been ruled out for the season, but Rambis doesn't expect him to get back on the floor. The 27-year-old forward signed just a one-year deal with the Knicks prior to this season, meaning he will be an unrestricted free agent this coming summer. The Knicks haven't given any indication about re-signing him, but Rambis is definitely all for it.
"He's a huge asset for us. We miss him a lot," Rambis said. "He plays so hard that he almost embarrasses other guys if they're not playing as hard as he does. Everybody else is playing catch-up with him."
Thomas was undrafted out of Duke in 2011, but is in his fifth year in the NBA. This season has been his best by far, as he averaged 8.2 points and 2.2 rebounds while shooting 40 percent from three in 59 games. The former Blue Devil was a favorite of Derek Fisher when he was the head coach and that has transferred over to Rambis as well. Even though Rambis may not be back, Thomas is a guy that seems to win people over because of his hard work and effort on the floor.
The Knicks are expected to be going after much bigger names than Thomas in free agency, like Mike Conley, but that doesn't mean they don't have room for him. New York has Thomas' early bird rights, which means that they can go above the cap to bring him back. Thomas made just $1.6 million this season, but will more than likely be due a raise for next season. It is unknown whether Jackson and the Knicks organization think he is worth that raise, but one thing we do know is that Rambis wants him back.
