Just because New York Knicks center Andrea Bargnani was the subject of trade rumors this season doesn't mean his time in the Big Apple is over. Given how Bargnani has thrived in the triangle offense, team president Phil Jackson appears likely to try to re-sign the Italian to a cheaper contract in free agency this summer.
One of the more surprising things this season for the Knicks was how well the oft-injured Bargnani has thrived in Jackson's triangle offense. For all intents and purposes, Bargnani has been healthy and on the court for only a month-and-a-half. After his late-December comeback from last season's shoulder injury lasted only two games, he attempted his second comeback on Feb. 9 and has played in every game since.
In addition to staying healthy, he has shown what a force he can be in Jackson's system. He averaged 16.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 block per game in the month of March, and he scored at least 22 points in three of his last five games.
Bargnani's most recent game - 25 points, eight rebounds and four blocks on Sunday against Philadelphia - earned him praise from first-year coach Derek Fisher, who didn't rule out the possibility of Bargnani playing for the Knicks beyond this season.
Bargnani's consistency since his return in February helps his market value when he becomes an unrestricted free agent in July. According to a report in March from Marc Berman of the New York Post, Jackson is already considering re-signing the veteran in free agency.
"According to an NBA source, Jackson still is a fan and has interest in bringing Bargnani back for the right price because of his length, post defense and ability to score and pass in the structured system," Berman wrote Sunday. "Bargnani's market value is one of the great mysteries of the summer, pending how he finishes the final 21 games."
Re-signing Bargnani wouldn't take care of Jackson's need for a starting-caliber center who can dominate in the low post, but it'd give him a serviceable backup who can create mismatches for opponents. The biggest question is what the market thinks Bargnani is worth, and if he would be willing to take a sizeable pay cut - he's making $11.5 million this season - to stay in New York.
